Seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease experience extreme difficulties to interact with their surroundings. This is not only due to their cognitive impairment but also as a result of the changes related to their senses and perception. Such seniors may feel distressed and uncomfortable when in an unfamiliar situation and even become distracted in visually stimulating environments or due to high sounds or noise. That is why assisted living facilities offer all-inclusive care services to seniors with or dementia. Assisted living senior care communities focus on creating an environment that is safe and promotes independence in dementia or Alzheimer’s patients. This helps to boost their quality of life and alleviates stress. Although there are dedicated memory care facilities that differ from assisted living communities, the latter follows a comprehensive approach to help seniors with any condition. Below are some of the unique therapies employed by assisted living facilities to help seniors with memory-related conditions. Aromatherapy Aromatherapy refers to a holistic healing treatment approach that involves using plant extracts and aromatic essential oils to promote the overall health of the body and mind. It is seen to benefit physical and emotional health in seniors, which helps them to relax and reduces the likelihood of difficult behaviors. Aromatherapy can also help to improve mood, reduce anxiety, lower agitation, and promote sleep in seniors with dementia. Light Therapy Light therapy, which is also known as phototherapy in some cases, has lately emerged as a promising treatment for dementia patients. It helps to stimulate […]

Congestive heart failure is a serious condition that makes the heart muscles weak and severely damaged in seniors. This, in turn, prevents the heart from supplying enough oxygen-rich blood to the body and leads to shortness of breath, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, frequent urges to urinate at night, swollen feet, weight gain, as well as many other complications. Seniors diagnosed with congestive heart failure need proper nutrition and support to cope with its symptoms effectively. That is why nutritionists at assisted living care facilities prepare a low-sodium diet plan for their senior residents. This helps to boost their heart health and allows them to enjoy their day-to-day activities in the senior living community. Below are a few diet recommendations for seniors who have congestive heart failure. Foods to Avoid in the Diet As the heart muscles in seniors with congestive heart failure become weakened, many kinds of foods can damage the heart further. That is why assisted living facilities prepare low-sodium meal plans for such seniors. Foods that have high sodium or salt can cause the body to retain more fluids and lead to increased blood pressure. This can be very dangerous for seniors with congestive heart failure. To steer clear of excessive sodium intake, seniors are advised to avoid consuming foods like frozen dinners, canned soups, smoked, cured, or canned meat, salted snacks and nuts, instant pudding, cottage cheese, salad dressing, and vegetable juice. Aside from that, foods rich in cholesterol and saturated fat should also be avoided to manage […]

Managing cholesterol levels is very important to maintain good heart health as we age. Cholesterol can be found in certain foods and is necessary to support many bodily functions. However, high cholesterol levels can lead to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and it is even linked to Alzheimer’s disease. That is why it’s essential to understand how to manage high cholesterol problems in seniors. Managing High Cholesterol in Seniors Cholesterol comes in two types: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL is more commonly known as good cholesterol as it helps to regulate cell creation, hormone production, and digestion. LDL can be viewed as bad cholesterol, as it can lead to the buildup of plaque in the blood vessels and arteries. This accumulation of plaque makes the heart work harder to pump blood to the body, leading to heart failure and other cardiovascular problems. Generally, seniors’ healthy cholesterol level is below 200 mg/dl when taken as the total cholesterol count. Ideally, the LDL level should be 100 mg/dl and the HDL level above 50 mg/dl in women and 40 mg/dl in men. Seniors with diabetes or heart disease are recommended to maintain an even lower LDL level, preferably below 70 mg/dl. However, it is seen that as we age, our body produces more cholesterol. Combined with high-cholesterol foods like saturated vegetable oils and dairy products, this can lead to many health complications. There are many other risk factors as well that could lead to high cholesterol […]