Senior Housing News: Lonely individuals — twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

I think we all knew this… Loneliness is unhealthy on every level… BE social, develop hobbies, activities like yoga and join exercise groups… They’ll keep you healthy emotionally and physically!

Senior Housing News: Engagement can help decrease feelings of loneliness, which, studies show, are linked to an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Lonely individuals — those who experience social isolation or have few interactions with others — are twice as likely to develop the type of dementia linked to Alzheimer’s disease later in life compared to those who are not lonely, according to a study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago.

“That isolation, that loneliness, can be as detrimental as a variety of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes,” said Khristine Rogers, virtual vice president of memory care in senior living and founder of Get Booming LLC in Golden, Colo. Rogers, who has worked in the memory care field for more than 25 years, has worked with LifeBio for the past year and has both trained and operated memory care programs using the Best Friends Approach.

Providers have experienced success in using LifeBio as a measure to help residents before memory problems kick in — and as a resource if and when those residents develop memory loss. Through LifeBio, seniors are able to document their past in Web-based and physical journals. They can start a biography, record special events and archive family history documents — all of which can be used as a legacy for family members and a resource for caregivers should the seniors develop dementia.

“We’re not just gathering the story but we’re using it to customize activities and conversations you have with that person in the future,” said Beth Sanders, founder and CEO of LifeBio. “Sometimes knowing their past gives you a connection point that helps you get them up and moving.”
http://seniorhousingnews.com/innovation/providers-look-to-the-past-for-future-of-memory-care/?utm_source=Senior+Housing+News+Daily+Email+Update&utm_campaign=1ccf2e35ca-Senior_Housing_News_for_07_07_147_6_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_22c027a2f4-1ccf2e35ca-47057