Memory Loss Affects the Whole Family | Why You Should Take Care of Your Memory

When a family member starts losing their memory, everything changes. Memory loss affects the whole family, not just the person whose memory is declining. When someone you love starts to experience cognitive decline, it is critical to adjust both your lifestyle (as the caregiver) and theirs as soon as possible! Make it a goal to take care of your memory.

Memory loss is typically a progressive decline.  The rate and extent of decline varies significantly between individuals, but when memory slippage is observable, this is a major red flag.  The pathology that leads to memory loss has typically been occurring for 20-40 years before the 1st memory slip.  Don’t let this progress to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  Today is Alzheimer’s Day and we want you to know – the solution to Alzheimer’s disease is NOT TO GET IT!  

If the decline advances to the point of dementia, that means your loved one with memory loss can no longer take care of themselves or perform daily living activities (dressing themselves, eating, etc.).  They will likely need full-time care at this point, since it is not safe to leave them alone.  The person with dementia or even modest memory loss will likely need to move in with family members and/or have a professional caregiver. At some point, their care surpasses the time and abilities of the caregivers and they need to be in a memory ward, where the caregivers are equipped to handle this level of disability.  

Having a loved one with memory loss or dementia live with you can be harder on you than on the person with the dementia!  It is incredibly stressful being a caregiver.  Family members generally sacrifice their own personal life to take care of their loved one.  Dressing the person, feeding them, and cleaning them after accidents is often an almost daily routine. In surveys, 74% of caregivers for people with dementia or Alzheimers reported that they were ‘somewhat concerned’ to ‘very concerned’ about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver.  The personality of the loved one with dementia generally changes.  They often become obstinate, argumentative, demanding and highly repetitive.  Anyone who has been around someone with even mild memory loss knows that they ask the same questions over and over, not remembering the answer provided a few minutes ago.  Some even become violent.  More than 1 in 6 Alzheimer’s or dementia caregivers had to quit work entirely because of the level of demands on them from the caregiving.  This may also mean budget adjustments for the caregiver and the caregiver’s family. Home renovations, equipment purchases, and care items may further cut into the budget.  So clearly, memory loss impacts everything the person with the memory loss does, not just their memory.  And memory loss impacts everyone else in the family.

Adults aren’t the only ones affected when memory loss hits their loved one. Some teens were assigned to take care of their loved one with memory loss when they’re not in school. Someone needs to be watching the loved one with dementia at all times since they may wander off or cause harm to themselves or others.  Those with significant memory loss are generally not aware of what they are doing and can easily start fires, misplace family members important papers or items, throw away keys or other actions that cause significant stress for the family. 

Most people have experienced some family member or friend who had memory loss, so you know the weight of this situation.  But memory loss CAN be prevented.  There are many things that can be done to improve brain health.

Ways you can take care of your memory, preventing cognitive loss and even regaining lost function:

• Exercise

Regular exercise reduces the risk of developing memory loss.

• Reduce the risk of heart problems

Eat a healthy diet. Do not smoke and get regular physical activity.

• Manage your blood sugar levels

High blood sugar raises the risk for many health problems.

• Avoid dangerous drug medications

Stay informed about prescription and over-the-counter drugs you are taking that can worsen cognition.

• Take a powerful, natural memory supplement

Vivolor Memory Support is a powerful memory supplement 5-20 times more nutrient than any other memory supplement on the market.

• Limit stress

Practice stress reduction techniques and remove from your life some of the things that cause you stress.

• Avoid head injuries

Protect your head from bumps and bruises at all times.