4 everyday tips on how to prevent dementia
SINGAPORE – At least two hospitals here have rolled out programmes which combine physical and mentally stimulating exercises to enhance their patients’ functions and keep dementia at bay.
The National University Hospital (NUH) introduced a United States-based programme called the Acute Care Of The Elderly (ACE) for its dementia patients and frail elderly people in its two combined geriatric and medicine wards last December.
During pockets of rest time, patients are encouraged to do physical or mentally stimulating activities such as simple puzzles, origami and colouring prescribed by their occupational therapists after a proper assessment. Families are invited to join in these activities.
This helps to improve patients’ mental abilities and prevent further decline due to hospitalisation, said Ms Eng Jia Yen, a principal occupational therapist at NUH.
The occupational therapists at the hospital also organise weekly group activities for some elderly patients from its geriatric and medicine wards.
This gives them a chance to socialise with one another and improve their physical and mental abilities at the same time. For instance, one group activity involves patients using “fishing rods” to catch “fish”, to build their concentration and arm strength.
The Khoo Teck Puat Hospital started the Gold programme in 2011 for older people with mild or subjective memory complaints who wish to lead an active lifestyle to forestall physical and mental decline.
These people, who are seen at its outpatient clinics, may have problems recalling names or occasionally misplace their belongings but do not satisfy the clinical criteria for dementia.
In the Gold programme, participants do physical exercises to build endurance, strength and balance, and brain games to train the mind.
They also attend talks on topics such as nutrition for the brain, sleep and exercise.
The programme, which runs for three hours every week, has about 10 to 15 participants so far.
If the onset of dementia can be delayed by five years, its prevalence can be reduced by 50 per cent, said Dr Reshma Merchant, a geriatrician and the head of general medicine at NUH.
Source: Mind Your Body, The Straits Times
Category: Wellness and Complementary Therapies
