In a recent study published in Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra, more than 80% of participants said they were at least a little bit afraid of developing dementia.
The good news is that you can take steps to protect your cognitive health. Good cognitive health has a positive impact on almost every aspect of your mental and physical well-being.
Quality senior living communities in Jacksonville can support older adults in maintaining or even improving their cognitive health. Learn more about what you can do to boost brain function and how the right senior living community can help.
What Is Cognitive Health?
Cognitive health is the ability to think, learn, and remember clearly. It’s one aspect of overall brain health. The other parts of brain health are:
- Motor control
- Sensory and tactile functions
- Emotional processing
Cognitive health plays a role in the ability to carry out daily tasks and care for oneself. It helps people maintain positive relationships. Good cognitive health contributes to having a safe and fulfilling life.
Factors that Affect Cognitive Health
Many factors affect cognitive health. A certain amount of cognitive decline happens naturally with age, like with other body systems. Factors that can lead to greater than normal cognitive decline include:
- Stroke or traumatic brain injury
- Genetics
- Medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure
- Chronically poor diet or insufficient sleep
- Smoking
- Stress
Making environmental and lifestyle changes to reduce some of these factors can benefit senior mental health over time.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy diet has positive effects on many aspects of your health and well-being, including cognitive health. A recent article in Frontiers of Public Health reports that diet and nutrition can protect cognitive health in several ways. Research shows the benefits of diets including:
- Low-fat
- Mediterranean
- Nordic
- DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
- MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay)
Nutrients like B vitamins, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyphenols are beneficial. Dietary fiber and probiotics also support good brain function.
Modern senior living communities have restaurant-inspired dining. You know you’re getting nutrient-rich meals that are also delicious. You can enjoy them without worrying about calculating the nutritional value of recipes and ingredients.
Get and Stay Active
Cognitive decline is almost twice as likely in older adults who are inactive compared to those who maintain an active lifestyle. Any increase in your physical activity is better than nothing. The key is to choose an activity you enjoy and will continue to do.
You can get the support you need to stay active in senior living communities in Jacksonville. You’ll find exercise classes that are designed with seniors in mind. You can take advantage of amenities like onsite fitness centers, paths, and walking groups.
For the largest benefit to cognitive health, the CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. You can divide these totals however you choose throughout the week.
Manage Stress in Healthy Ways
Everyone has some amount of stress in their life. Developing healthy mechanisms to manage and reduce stress helps to prevent cognitive decline, according to a recent study reported by CNN.
Removing the sources of your stress is ideal but often not possible. When eliminating stressors isn’t practical, stress management is even more important. Some tips for managing stress are the same as for maintaining health in all aspects of your life:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Stay hydrated
- Engage in physical activity
- Get enough sleep
Mindfulness practices and spirituality can help with stress relief. Meditation is a mindfulness technique that can support mental and physical health, especially through stress reduction. It trains your attention to focus on the present moment and to accept your feelings and sensations without judgment.
Spiritual and religious practices can also help you handle stress. Feeling a sense of purpose can help people focus on what is most important in their lives. Belief in a higher power can help people release stress over aspects of their lives they can’t control.
Many senior living communities offer opportunities to practice meditation or other mindfulness techniques. Religious services are often offered onsite. You can continue your existing spiritual practices or explore something new.
Keep Learning
Your brain can keep learning and growing as you age. As the Harvard Medical School reports, you can train your brain for growth with almost any type of new activity. Quality senior living communities in Jacksonville provide the ideal environment for trying something new.
Senior brain health can benefit from taking up almost any type of activity, like:
- Playing a sport
- Joining an exercise class
- Painting
- Playing a musical instrument
- Learning a language
The key is to challenge yourself. That’s why the emphasis is on learning a new activity.
You can challenge yourself with an existing activity, though. Focus on increasing your skills and knowledge.
Senior living communities in Jacksonville have a full calendar of classes and other activities. You can learn a new skill or develop an existing one with people who share your interests.
Stay Socially Connected
Studies show that social engagement is associated with less cognitive decline. Connections with family and friends reduce feelings of loneliness and increase mental stimulation. You benefit from structured interactions, like volunteering, as well as casual ones, like chatting over coffee.
In a senior living community, you can make new social connections while maintaining the relationships you already have. You can take part in a class, join a group, or participate in activities. You can invite loved ones to share a meal with you in the restaurant-quality dining room.
Senior Living Communities in Jacksonville for Your Cognitive Health
Quality senior living communities in Jacksonville support your cognitive health in a variety of ways. You benefit from amenities like nutritious meals, classes and activities, and a community of people in your same time of life.
The community you choose matters. Discovery Village at Deerwood offers resort-style amenities from an ideal location near the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville. We provide retirement living, assisted living, and memory care customized to meet your needs and preferences.
Our caring, warm-hearted team members support and encourage each of our residents on their cognitive health journey. Schedule a visit with Discovery Village at Deerwood today to learn more about how we can help you or your loved one.
