Caring for Your Brain Helps to Prevent Falls

As you age, it is important to keep your brain active and healthy. Doing so can provide a variety of benefits including maintaining your physical health, quality of life, and independence. It can also reduce the risk of a fall and prevent the development of more serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.  

The brain is the most complex organ in our bodies. According to Northwestern Medicine, “The human brain can generate about 23 watts of power (enough to power a lightbulb).” (1) Your brain completes many important functions throughout the day. Therefore, it is essential to take good care of it as you age in place. If you take good care of your brain, it will take good care of you in return.

There are many different types of functions that your brain carries out daily. It helps you complete every activity you participate in from breathing to walking to making decisions. As you age in place, it is essential to take care of your brain.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Cognitive impairment has been identified as a risk factor for falls in aging. Impaired executive function, but not memory impairment, has been associated with increased prevalence of falls in healthy older adults.” (2)

If you are concerned about falling, an Alert1 emergency button alarm for seniors can provide you with some peace of mind. You can rest assured that a certified emergency response agent will be there to help you if you need it. With a wireless fall detection device, you don’t even need to press a button. When the sensor in the medical alert device notices a fall, it will contact the Alert1 24/7 Command Center immediately. 

1.   Better Whole Health for Seniors

Your mind and body have a connection that allows one to influence the other. If something positive or negative happens to your body, it will likely affect your mentality. The same goes for the brain. Your mood and brain health can impact how your physical body feels.

According to John Hopkins Medicine, “Your body responds to stress and to anxiety or depression. For example, when you’re stressed, you might develop high blood pressure, a stomach ulcer, back pain, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, and you may have trouble falling or staying asleep. (3)

By ensuring that your mental health is sound, you can help reduce your chances of developing accompanying physical ailments.

2.   Better Quality of Life

Your brain’s health affects your overall quality of life. When your brain is healthy, you will feel more energized, perform better on daily tasks, and be able to think more clearly. Your daily chores will seem easier, and you will likely have a better mood. You can be more productive and successful throughout your day. This will help improve your overall satisfaction and well-being.

3.   Retained Independence

A healthy brain also helps you maintain your independence. When we are young and our brains are still developing, we need to depend on our parents to provide for us. As we get older, we gain more independence. We can take care our needs on our own. To retain the ability to take care of your own needs, you need to ensure that your brain is functioning properly. Therefore, by taking steps to exercise and maintain your brain’s functions, you can help retain your independence.

An Alert1 medical alert for elderly can also help you maintain independence as you age in place. You can go about your normal, daily tasks yet still be assured that you can get help if you need it.

4.   Financial Security for Seniors

Financial security is another factor that might concern you as you age in place. You need accurate cognitive abilities to manage your finances and ensure everything is in proper order. When your brain is healthy, you can accurately perform financial tasks such as balancing a checkbook, preparing taxes, and paying bills.

5.   Prevention of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Cognitive decline can be an early warning sign for more serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. While many people do naturally experience some memory and cognitive glitches as they age, your cognitive abilities should not inhibit you from performing everyday tasks. If you start noticing a decline in your cognitive abilities, taking steps to stimulate your brain and keep it active may help to delay or prevent the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

6.   Reduced Fall Risk

According to PLOS Digital Health Journal, “Recent findings suggest that executive function plays a critical role in the regulation of gait in older adults, especially under complex and challenging conditions, and that executive function deficits may, therefore, contribute to fall risk.” (4)  The executive functions of your brain help determine how you step. This includes aspects such as how far you step, the angle that your foot comes down, and where you step. By ensuring that your brain is healthy, you can help ensure that executive functions are carried out with the utmost accuracy to prevent a fall. 

An Alert1 medical alert watch for elderly with built-in pedometer not only counts your steps each day, but it can also help ensure that you can get immediate assistance if you ever need it.

There are plenty of ways to keep your brain healthy and active:

 1.   Mental Stimulation

The best way to keep your brain strong is to challenge it. Do some jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, memory matching, or other brain-training games. Reading and listening to music can also keep your brain engaged while soothing your mood.

2.   Socialization

Simply talking to friends and family can help keep you happy and healthy. The connections you make with others help boost your mood and the improvisation skills you use to respond to them can help keep your cognitive abilities sharp. If you go out to visit loved ones to socialize, an on-the-go wireless emergency alert necklace with fall detection gives you immediate access to our 24/7 Command Center should you need it.

3.   Organization

When you are organized, you can think more clearly and find the things you are looking for in less time. This helps to reduce stress so you can lead an overall happier life. If your home is cluttered, try to develop an organization system to make everything easier to find. You can find plenty of organization tips online. This will help free up time and energy that you can spend on other aspects of your day. Lack of clutter around your house can also significantly reduce your fall risk.

4.   Sleep

According to Health in Aging, “Adults 65-years-old and older still need between 7-8 hours of sleep nightly, and ideally over a continuous period of time.”(5) It is important to get enough sleep so that your brain can function properly. Creating a bedtime routine can help your body know when it is time to sleep.

5.   Exercise

Exercise stimulates brain plasticity and gets your heart pumping so you can get more oxygen to your brain. This helps your brain think more efficiently and clearly. A study conducted by the Human Cognitive Neuroscience unit at the University of Northumbria found that breathing supplemental oxygen significantly improved cognitive performance of healthy adults. Additionally, “Breathing pure oxygen for only a few minutes can increase mental performance when attempting more demanding tasks.” (6)

For the best brain performance, you should try to work an exercise regimen into your weekly routine. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity.” (7)

Consider an Alert1 medical alert watch with pedometer and GPS when you exercise so that you can track your progress and get help if you ever need it.

6.   Diet

The meals you decide to eat determine if your body and brain get the nutrients they require to function efficiently and accurately. Some senior health aspects you will want to pay particular attention to include:

• Blood Sugar – Poor blood sugar can lead to diabetes and diabetes is a risk factor for dementia.
• Blood Pressure – High blood pressure can increase the risk of cognitive decline.
• Cholesterol – High levels of bad cholesterol can increase the risk of developing dementia. (8)

When you follow these senior health tips, you help ensure that your brain is performing at its maximum potential. You will also feel better and have more energy overall.

7.   Avoiding Alcohol and Tobacco

Alcohol and tobacco can affect your brain in a variety of negative ways, including making it difficult to focus, decreasing coordination, making it harder to speak, making you drowsy, and even damaging your brain. By avoiding alcohol and tobacco, you can avoid these adverse effects and feel better overall.

8.   Mood

According to Touro University Worldwide, “Stress can kill brain cells and even reduce the size of the brain. Chronic stress has a shrinking effect on the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.” (9) By finding ways to relax and manage stress, you can maintain your ability to focus and think clearly.

Some useful relaxation techniques to consider including taking walks, journaling, listening to calming music, aromatherapy, and talking to loved ones.

9.   Mental Health

If you have any mental disorders or conditions, be sure to manage them as directed by your doctor. Doctors can provide you with the best senior health tips to keep you healthy. The better you manage your health conditions, the more you can reduce your fall risk and have a better overall quality of life.

10.  Learning Technology or a New Skill

One of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to challenge yourself. It is never too late to learn a new skill. Learning how to use computers and other technology can open a lot of doors and lead to self-improvement in a variety of ways. If you don’t have any interest in technology, you can try taking up another hobby that you’ve been curious about. Acquiring new skills stimulates brain function.