Aphasia makes reading, writing, and speaking challenging for a senior. The condition usually occurs when the part of the brain affecting language is damaged. Aphasia is often the result of a stroke, though there are many other potential causes. Kitchener senior care experts suggest taking these steps to reduce your loved one’s chances of developing aphasia.
Follow a Healthy Lifestyle
Chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes can lead to aphasia. Encourage your loved one to eat antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables to lower his or her risk of chronic degenerative diseases. By exercising and staying active, your loved one can boost blood flow to the brain, allowing more nutrients to reach it. Even a small amount of exercise each week is enough to enhance cognitive function and prevent aphasia.
Stay Mentally Active
Brain stimulation and activity helps increase the flow of blood to your loved one’s brain and reduces the odds of developing conditions associated with aphasia, including Alzheimer’s and dementia. Here are some activities your loved one can do to keep his or her brain active and challenged:
- Reading a book
- Writing
- Taking adult education courses
- Learning to play an instrument
Prevent Falls and Head Injuries
Severe blows to the head could cause damage to one or more of the language areas of the brain, leading to aphasia. Because seniors are more likely to experience falls, the chances of your loved one experiencing a head injury can increase with age, which also increases the odds of being affected by aphasia. To prevent your loved one from falling, you can take the following steps:
- Remove clutter in the home
- Have his or her vision checked on a regular basis
- Add grab bars and rails around the home
- Remove rugs and throws
- Clear pathways in the home
- Increase lighting throughout the house
- Encourage him or her to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise
Reduce the Risk of Strokes
Strokes are the leading cause of aphasia among seniors. When a senior experiences a stroke on the left side of the brain, the risks of developing aphasia increase. To prevent a stroke, your senior loved one needs to maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels, follow a healthy diet, exercise, quit smoking, avoid alcohol, and eliminate stress. Reduce your loved one’s odds of developing aphasia by reducing the risk of stroke.
Help your loved take preventive action for conditions like aphasia by reaching out to Home Care Assistance at (519) 954-2111. We provide dedicated live-in and hourly caregivers who can encourage your loved one to maintain a healthy diet and stay alert. In addition to being experts in KW at-home care, we also provide specialized post-stroke and dementia care Kitchener families can count on. Call a Care Manager to discuss a customized care plan to meet your loved one’s individual care needs.