Dementia symptoms increased due to lockdown

Speaking during a recent virtual lecture hosted by the Federal High School Alumni, Lennox Rochester, Occupational Therapist, highlighted that since the lockdown, a number of people have reported increases in their dementia symptoms due to the reduced stimulation and not being able to go out, and believed that this was something that needed to be addressed.

He went on to speak on ways in which persons could reduce their risks of getting dementia and noted that while more research was needed to prove that these steps did indeed significantly reduce a person’s risk of getting dementia, they were still beneficial.

“There is no sure way to prevent dementia, but there are steps that you can take that might help,” he said.

“Keep your mind active. Doing activities such as reading, solving puzzles, playing word games, memory training, might delay the onset of dementia and decrease its effects. Be physically and socially active; we might have a problem there because due to the pandemic, we are being urged to be less socially active.”

Rochester noted that it was important to make sure you were getting enough vitamins and taking care of and managing any cardiovascular diseases.

Additionally, he noted that it was important to get quality sleep as the body tended to repair itself during that time.

He went on to stress that dementia was a normal part of ageing and could occur in normal people, whether or not they had a family history of the disease.

“Research shows us that the lack of exercise increases the risk of dementia, and while no special diet is shown to reduce dementia, research indicates a great incidence of dementia in persons who eat unhealthy diets compared to those who eat healthy,” he added.