Excessive amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of dementia, but an occasional glass of red wine can provide various cognitive benefits. Monitor your senior loved one’s wine intake according to his or her current health and any medications he or she is taking. Learn about the benefits and disadvantages of drinking wine in the senior years and how it impacts the risk of dementia.
Effects on the Memory
Although both short-term and long-term memory can be negatively affected by drinking wine, short-term memory problems are typically the first issues seniors experience if they drink wine on a regular basis. Many of the chemicals in wine can impact the hippocampus and cause seniors to forget conversations, previous actions, and other important information. Over time, these memory problems could increase and cause significant cognitive impairment and long-term memory loss.
Seniors with dementia often need assistance with everyday activities. If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of home care services families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
Insufficient Thiamine Levels
Drinking white wine can cause thiamine deficiency and reduce enzyme activity in older adults. Low levels of thiamine could result in substantial changes to the brain, including memory deficits. If your loved one consumes excessive amounts of wine, monitor his or her daily activities to ensure he or she doesn’t have a thiamine deficiency. Some of the symptoms include loss of appetite, blurry vision, nausea, fatigue, confusion, and frustration. Take your loved one to see his or her primary care physician for immediate treatment if you notice these symptoms.
Excessive Drinking
Too much of anything, including white wine, can often be bad for a senior’s wellbeing. Whether your loved one decides to drink white or red wine, all alcoholic beverages should be consumed in moderation. Drinking too much wine can impact short-term memory, making it difficult to remember things that recently happened. Excessive drinking can also cause confusion and poor communication, including slurred speech, which occurs when the chemicals in the wine prevent brain cell growth, disrupting the way the organ functions. Your loved one should limit his or her wine intake to no more than one glass per day and avoid drinking liquor and beer altogether.
Seniors with dementia, no matter what the cause, can optimize their quality of life with the help of a highly trained, experienced professional caregiver. If your senior loved one needs professional dementia care, Barrie caregivers are available around the clock to provide the high-quality care he or she needs. Using the revolutionary Cognitive Therapeutics Method, dementia caregivers can help your loved one stay mentally engaged and delay the progression of the disease.
Resveratrol
Red wine is an excellent source of resveratrol, an antioxidant that naturally increases circulation, lowering the risk of brain damage. The relatively high levels of resveratrol found in a glass of red wine can prevent blood platelets from sticking together, allowing your loved one’s blood vessels to remain open and more flexible. Resveratrol reduces oxidative stress and staves off inflammation, which are issues that can increase the odds of developing neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia.
Combating these problems early on can lower the risk of memory loss. However, once cognitive decline begins, it may be too late to reverse the damage. Make sure your loved one’s diet includes high levels of antioxidants. The resveratrol from red wine can also boost the immune system and restrain the enzymes responsible for the stimulation of cancer cells.
If your loved one is living with dementia, having a trained professional caregiver close by can provide you and your family with much-needed peace of mind. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of at-home care. Barrie families can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. If your loved one needs professional home care, Home Care Assistance is here to help. To hire a compassionate, dedicated caregiver, call us at 647-970-3803 today.