If you are caring for an elderly loved one, you may worry about potential health challenges such as cancer, heart disease, or dementia. Among these concerns, Alzheimer’s disease often stands out as one of the biggest fears for families.

Understanding the risk factors for Alzheimer’s can help you take steps to reduce your loved one’s risk and plan ahead. For many families, this includes exploring Alzheimer’s home care options to ensure their loved one receives the support they need to maintain safety and quality of life.

Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Factors

Developing Alzheimer’s disease or any form of dementia is not a normal part of aging. While your loved one can’t eliminate all risk factors, understanding them can help you take steps to reduce the likelihood of developing the disease. Lifestyle changes can significantly play a key role if multiple factors increase their risk.

Additionally, Alzheimer’s home care can provide essential support, creating a safe and nurturing environment to help manage the condition while promoting healthier choices.

#1 Aging

Getting older is a good thing, but it does increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The disease affects most people after the age of 65 and increases in likelihood for each decade after that. For those 85 and older, about a third of those individuals will develop Alzheimer’s disease.

#2 Family History

Alzheimer’s disease does tend to run in families, so if your loved one had a parent, grandparent, or sibling who had or has the condition, it increases their risk of developing it as well.

#3 Heart Issues

The heart is responsible for pumping blood to all parts of the body, including the brain. So, when the heart isn’t working well, such as with heart disease, it doesn’t always get enough blood to the brain, and over time, that can lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

#4 Head Injuries

A serious head injury can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as participating in an activity that is prone to multiple head injuries, such as playing a contact sport like football or soccer. For some elderly who lose balance as they age and begin falling a lot, a serious fall that causes them to injure their head can increase their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

#5 Sleep Disorders

Not sleeping well over decades can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to the brain’s inability to ever fully rest and recover. Sleep apnea is a leading cause of sleep disorders that could lead to possible Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis later in life.

#6 Smoking

Smoking damages blood vessels, and that damage can lead to an increased risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

#7 Drinking Too Much Alcohol

Overconsumption of alcohol is linked to reduced volume of the brain’s white matter, which helps to transmit signals between different brain regions.

Planning for Alzheimer’s Home Care

If your loved one does develop Alzheimer’s Disease, having a plan for her care is imperative to help her maintain her safety and provide a high quality of life. For some families, that can mean having your elderly loved one move in with them, or it might mean getting professional help to assist her with chores in her home. An Alzheimer’s home care provider can step in and assist your loved one with daily activities that she might be struggling with.

As your loved one’s abilities change or diminish, the Alzheimer’s home care role can be personalized to meet the needs of your loved one, making them an invaluable member of your loved one’s care team.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in San Francisco, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care today at (415) 463-1400

Aviva In-Home Care provides exceptional senior home care in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hillsborough, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Lafayette, Orinda, and surrounding areas.

Sources:

• https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers/causes-and-risk-factors

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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