Getting older comes with certain lifestyle changes and making sure your health is always well is only one of them. Mental health, just as physical, should be taken care of throughout an entire life. This is especially true early in life because good prevention is half the health. Mental disorders are very common among the elderly, and if you want to prevent depression, dementia, and similar illnesses, you’ll have to take care of yourself much better than you used to.
More vitamin intake
A healthy diet is imperative to both physical and mental health. According to some research, vitamin B12 is highly beneficial for our mind. Not only does vitamin B12 prevents breast, colon, lungs, and prostate glands cancer, but it also aids in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease. Depression is another mental disorder many older adults face so it would be great if you increased the intake of vitamin B12 and vitamin D because they’ve been proven to keep depression at bay. Vitamin K is also significant for preventing aging, so make sure you take it through leafy greens or supplement your diet with it.
Learn a new language
According to various studies, learning a second, third, fourth… language has a significant influence on delaying Alzheimer’s by 4 years. Controlling two or more languages actively is a wonderful exercise for the brain, which challenges grey cells, thus preventing them from degenerating. So, if you’ve been thinking about a hobby or about something new you’d like to try in life, it would be amazing to start learning a new language. Not only can this be beneficial for your mental health, but also inspire you to maybe travel more and discover new countries you haven’t even thought about before.
Offer them constant care
Elderly people will require constant care at some point, but if they are already living alone, you should consider looking for aged care facilities which can offer them a 24/7 top care and company. Socializing is just one of the benefits aged care offers, and that is precisely what will prevent several mental disorders such as depression and dementia. Being surrounded by people, interacting with them and having somebody to keep you company when you feel alone is the best way to keep your mind of off negative thoughts and think about happier moments.
Keep your brain occupied
Puzzles, riddles, and all the interactions that keep your brain occupied will be good for preventing mental disorders. The more you exercise your brain cells, the less prone to dementia you’ll be. Also, playing games involve several people, which means you’ll be socializing while having fun. This will all take your mind off all the thoughts that may trouble you and be the cause of sadness and ultimately depression. Crossword puzzles, board games, cards, Scrabble and Sudoku are all great mental workout methods. Generating new brain pathways is also a good way to offer yourself a brain exercise, so consider breaking an old habit, take a new route home, and eat with a non-dominant hand from time to time. Getting outside of your comfort zone will be good for both your spirit and your brain.
Mental disorder prevention is essential if you want to make sure your brain is functioning properly once you’ve reached the golden years. To ensure good mental health, do your best to take more vitamins, B12, D, and K most of all, learn a new language or two, surround yourself with other elderly people, and offer your brain constant workouts. Be it from foreign language use or from playing board games, your brain will thank you for keeping the grey cells constantly active.