Golfing May Reduce the Risk of Dementia

Leisure-time exercises like golfing may reduce the risk of dementia for older men according to a recent study.

Depending on who is reading this, you are either going to be thrilled with me, or angry at me for giving an excuse to someone.  But, we here at The Galligan Law Firm value the health of our clients, and with that, I want to share the results of this important study.

Older men now have a great excuse to spend more timing golfing.  A recent study suggests playing golf may cut the risk of getting dementia according to The Daily Mail’s recent article entitled, “Playing GOLF could cut your risk of getting dementia by a third, study claims.”

Men 60 years and older who regularly exercise at a ‘leisurely’ pace, such as golf, were up to 37% less likely to be diagnosed with the disorder, a Japanese study found. Experts say this may be due to the quick mental calculations done when lining up a putt or avoiding a bunker which may help prevent cognitive decline. Researchers also say the social aspect of playing golf with others may help stave off dementia, in addition to the benefits of physical exercise. However, this effect was not found for women who played more games of golf or other similar activities, like tennis or gardening.

Previous research has suggested factors like social isolation also increase the chances of getting dementia, with a lack of personal interaction with others a key risk factor. I’ve read other studies which examined towns with an abnormal number of individuals who reach 100 years of age.  Those studies similarly found that social interaction in those towns (small, tight-knit communities) encouraged long-term health.

In this study, researchers at the Center for Public Health Sciences in Tokyo reviewed survey data collected between 2000 to 2003 from 43,896 Japanese seniors. On average, they were aged 61. The survey participants were asked to detail their average levels of daily activity. Each activity was given a score, based on the energy expended doing a task. These scores were then compared to dementia diagnoses logged between 2006 and 2016.

A total of 5,010 participants were diagnosed with the condition during this time frame. The results showed no clear link between moderate to vigorous exercise and any reduced risk of dementia. However, further analysis of the same set of data showed men who did lots of ‘leisure-time’ exercise were at less risk of the disorder. Men in the top 25%— in terms of the amount of leisure-time exercise they carried out — were 37% less likely to have dementia three years after being surveyed. This risk reduction remained even after other risk factors like smoking status, alcohol intake and BMI were taken into account. Nine years after being surveyed, the more active men were 28% less likely to have a dementia diagnosis, compared to the least active.

Lead author Dr. Norie Sawada suggested leisure activities, like golf, may help older man stave off dementia through both the mental calculations required to play and the social aspect.  It is encouraging too that an active lifestyle (“leisure-time exercise”) can help without requiring extreme or vigorous exercise as we age.

Dr. Sawada also noted that ‘the social activity that accompanies leisure time physical activities, such as participation in golf competitions and enrollment in tennis circles, also has a protective association against cognitive decline and dementia.’

There is no precise way to prevent dementia. However, experts say that maintaining a healthy heart through regular exercise and eating healthy foods helps reduce the risk of the condition, and if golfing helps, so be it.

As to why women in the study did not enjoy a reduced dementia risk, Sawada thinks that they may already be getting similar benefits from their everyday activities, compared to men.

So, if there is one thing you do to help your health this weekend, let it be golfing!

Reference: Daily Mail (March 29, 2022) “Playing GOLF could cut your risk of getting dementia by a third, study claims”

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Can I Afford In-Home Elderly Care?

Most clients prefer to age at home. However, in-home elder care costs add up quickly, so be aware of other affordable housing options.

Staying at home isn’t always affordable, according to a recent US News and World Report article. The article, entitled “Can You Afford In-Home Elderly Care?”, says about 80% of seniors are concerned about being able to afford home health care costs, based on a 2019 SCAN Health Plan survey. Paying for personalized in-home senior care can add up quickly and isn’t always easy on a senior’s tight income.

If you’re thinking about in-home elderly care, review these criteria to determine what costs to expect and the different payment options available for this type of care.

Find Out the Services Included in Home Care for the Elderly. In-home care can vary a lot, depending on your health conditions and needs. You might get helpers if you’re recovering at home from an illness or injury, and you could also have home care workers help you with daily activities, such as preparing meals and personal hygiene. Home care services often include rides to and from appointments, monitoring heart rate and blood pressure and in-home physical and cognitive therapy sessions.

Think about the Level of Care Needed. If you can do most daily activities on your own, but could use help with certain activities, such as cooking or cleaning, home care might be a wise option. Home care is focused on the service, and it’s supposed to help those who are living on their own as long as possible. When more care is required, moving to a place with more health support may be necessary. People who have significant needs may often look to assisted living as an alternative. Assisted living facilities offer more services, like 24-hour emergency care and ongoing supervision for seniors with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other disabilities, although funding options may be limited.

Check Out the Cost of In-Home Senior Care. Homemaker services cost about $22.50 per hour on average and include tasks to help a person with daily duties like laundry, grocery shopping and light housework. A home health aide charges an average of $23 per hour, and may help with administering medicine at scheduled times, supervising and monitoring chronic illnesses and helping with walking aids. Of course, the exact cost of these services depends on where you live and the amount of help you need. The monthly cost for in-home care ranges from $4,290 for homemaker services to $4,385 for home health aide care. This typically costs more than the monthly median cost for an assisted living facility—but less than the median cost per month for a room at a nursing home facility.

Know Your Insurance Coverage. If you’re on Medicare, you may be able to get coverage for some short-term home services. To do so, a doctor will need to indicate that skilled nursing care is needed for a short period of time. Medicare will cover speech therapy, occupational therapy, or physical therapy. You can also use it to help with the purchase of durable medical equipment and safety additions to your home. However, Medicare won’t typically cover long-term home care services.

Medicaid will cover some health services at home, like cleaning and meal preparation, rides to and from medical visits and personal care if you are financially eligible.  Depending on the program, it provides some care and services in the home to those who need it medically. If you have long-term care insurance, some in-home services may be covered by your policy.

Look at Other Payment Methods. If your insurance won’t cover in-home care, you might have to pay out-of-pocket. One way to lower costs, is by asking family members to help. If you need to hire more help over time, the cost for services will increase accordingly. If that doesn’t work, they may help pay for in-home elderly care.

Additionally, people often overlook government benefit options, such as Medicaid or Veterans’ benefits such as Aid & Assistance.  People wrongly assume they aren’t eligible for the benefits, and miss out on funds available to them.  See here for a fuller description of this issue.  https://galligan-law.com/medicare-basics-what-to-know/

Reference: US News and World Report (June 10, 2020) “Can You Afford In-Home Elderly Care?”

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An Often Misdiagnosed Dementia

Lewey body dementia is an often misdiagnosed dementia.
Lewey body dementia is an often misdiagnosed dementia.

Many people had never heard of Lewy body dementia until it was reported in 2014 that this was the disease that afflicted Robin Williams. While Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are the two most common types of dementia, those who have Lewy body dementia are often misdiagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease or depression. As a result, they do not get the treatment and support they need.

Considerable’s recent article entitled “The second most common type of dementia often goes unrecognized” reports that in one study, nearly 70% of people diagnosed with Lewy body dementia visited three consultants before receiving the diagnosis. For 33% of people with the disease, the dementia was misdiagnosed and getting the correct diagnosis took over two years.

There are two different conditions associated with Lewy body dementia: dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia. In dementia with Lewy bodies, problems with memory and thinking occur simultaneously with problems involving movement, like those associated with Parkinson’s disease. In Parkinson’s disease dementia, a person who has had movement problems resembling Parkinson’s disease for several years, then develops difficulties with memory and thinking.

In addition to memory, thinking, and movement problems, symptoms of Lewy body dementia include issues with alertness and concentration, hallucinations and paranoia, acting out dreams during sleep, low blood pressure when standing, daytime sleepiness and depression.

Because the symptoms of Lewy body dementia often resemble other conditions, research reveals that the first diagnosis is commonly incorrect. For example, in one study 26% of people who had Lewy body dementia were misdiagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease, and 24% were determined to have a psychiatric diagnosis like depression.

We saw this first hand at our firm when a family member was suffering with this kind of dementia. It went undiagnosed until it was too late to treat it properly. We feel it’s important to get the word out to family members who might think their loved one is suffering from depression, Parkinson’s disease, or another kind of dementia.

Failure to properly diagnose a person with Lewy body dementia can result in delay in treatment specifically targeted for that condition. Also, with the correct diagnosis, patients and families can seek out resources, such as the Lewy Body Dementia Association, an organization dedicated to helping people living with this disease. This group provides education on Lewy body dementia, helps patients and families know what to expect, connects patients and families to support and resources and helps them find research opportunities.

For more information on dementia issues see https://galligan-law.com/some-common-drugs-may-increase-risk-of-dementia/

Reference: Considerable (Aug. 14, 2020) “The second most common type of dementia often goes unrecognized”

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