Naperville Home Side Executive Advocates Monitoring Minor Conditions in Seniors that can Signal Onset of Dementia

A recent national story reported on a survey from the journal Neurology, that found that “a runny nose, fallen arches and dentures aren't risk factors typically associated with brain health. But new research suggests that small health problems can add up, and the combined effect can increase a person's risk for dementia.”

According to the story investigators intentionally ignored traditional dementia risk factors like heart disease and diabetes and focused on seemingly inconsequential health issues often associated with aging, like sinus complaints, foot and ankle conditions, skin problems and trouble with vision, hearing and dental health. “Taken alone, none of these health conditions are related to a person's dementia risk. But when investigators combined these relatively minor physical ailments into a single “frailty index,'' they found a significant cumulative effect on dementia risk.”

“Studies show that each extra health problem increased an otherwise healthy person's risk of developing dementia by 3 percent, compared with a healthy person without any minor complaints. For instance, a person who began the study with no health complaints had an 18 percent risk of developing dementia over the next decade. A dozen small health complaints increased risk to 40 percent,” said Richard Ueberfluss, a physical therapist and president of Assisting Hands®-Naperville.

Ueberfluss recommends having an aide in the home trained in dementia care that can monitor patients and track symptoms that may be a precursor to dementia. This is especially important when caregivers cannot fill this role as often as necessary. For more information, visit Assisting Hands® at assistinghands-naperville.com.