Growing older has its own set of challenges, especially so when cognitive functions decline. Once someone’s brain becomes impaired, taking care of that person can quickly overwhelm family members to the point where admitting them to a facility unfortunately becomes the only option.
According to CNN, one new case of dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s Disease and memory loss, will soon be diagnosed every 4 seconds, and it will be the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States. Of course, part of the reason why there are so many new cases of dementia is that the Baby Boomer population, people born between 1946 and 1964, is getting older. By 2030, all Baby Boomers, now estimated at 73 million people, will be Age 65 or older in less than ten years. Every day at least 10,000 people in the US turn 65 years of age.
At York Law Firm, we routinely see cases of families in crisis and being torn apart by the ravages of dementia. The statistics are staggering and sobering; 47 million Americans currently have some evidence of preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease, which means that they are starting to show brain deterioration signs. The epidemic is widespread, that many people believe that dementia is a normal part of life, but that’s not true. Dementia is not normal, and age does not doom you to have some form of dementia. New medical research shows that most people whose cognitive functions begin to show signs of decline can reverse those signs in as few as 12 weeks.
Because this issue is so vital to our growing population of seniors over the age of 60, we will devote several posts to the science behind slowing dementia and memory loss.
Here is a list of steps for Slowing and Reversing Dementia and Memory Loss
As a first step, we recommend that most people should understand what causes dementia. According to expert clinicians at the non-profit Sharp Again Naturally, the ten most common causes of dementia are:
- Nutritional imbalances and deficiencies
- Toxins in food, water, air, work/home environments
- Effects of prescription medications
- Mercury and other heavy metal toxins
- Hormonal imbalances
- Inflammation from low-level infections including mold and Lyme Disease
- Inadequate physical activity
- Prolonged stress
- Sleep and breathing problems
- Physical and emotional trauma
In our next post, we’ll look more closely at several of these causes and offer suggestions on how individuals and families can identify and eliminate such factors.
We believe that the more we know and the more we work to reverse Alzheimer’s, dementia, and memory loss, the higher quality of life our senior citizens can enjoy. Institutionalization is a last resort, and we hope families can find ways to avoid that path.
Attorney Wendy York of York Law Firm specializes in prosecuting elder abuse and wrongful death cases. If you or a loved one needs help please contact Wendy Today!