Is it Only Cognitive Issues that Cause Memory Loss?

As your senior’s caregiver, you might worry about even small memory problems. The reality is that there’s a lot more than the “big” memory and cognitive diseases that can cause or contribute to having trouble with memory. Here are just a few of the things that could be posing a problem for your elderly family member in terms of having the memory that she wants.

 

Elderly Care in Avon IN: Issues that Cause Memory Loss

Elderly Care in Avon IN: Issues that Cause Memory Loss

 

Medications and Their Side Effects

One of the biggest influences on your senior’s health and well-being is the medication she takes. Medication helps to solve problems, but it also can have side effects that your senior doesn’t necessarily enjoy. All medications have side effects, but they can vary in intensity. If you think that your senior’s memory issues are connected to medications she’s taking, those dosages or medications might be changed to help reduce that impact.

 

Nutritional Needs

Your senior’s body and brain need nutrients in order to keep running the way they’re designed to run. If your elderly family member isn’t eating well or the right foods, she might not be getting all of the nutrients that she needs. Some vitamins, like B vitamins, are particularly helpful for brain health and for energy. It’s a good idea to take a closer look at your senior’s diet and see where she might be missing important nutrients.

 

Depression and Other Mental Health Issues

Mental health requires a lot of energy. And if your elderly family member is dealing with depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, she may not have the bandwidth to manage her memory like she’s used to managing it. That can mean that she’s losing track of details that used to be easy to hang onto. Talk to your senior’s doctor about what else you can try to help her to manage her mental health.

 

A Variety of Physical Health Issues

Besides medication side effects, your senior’s overall physical health concerns can cause her to have memory trouble. If she’s having trouble balancing her blood sugar because of diabetes, for example, that might impact her memory. Other health issues can also contribute. Talk to your senior’s doctor about the smaller impacts that her health concerns might create, like trouble with her memory.

There’s a lot that goes into keeping your senior’s memory where she wants it. This can take working closely with her doctor and determining what’s creating the issues for your senior.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elderly Care in Avon, IN, please call the caring staff at Home Services Unlimited. Serving Greater Indianapolis Area. Call for Immediate Info & Assistance: (317) 471-0760

Etelka Froymovich, RN, MHA
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