Small steps could reduce dementia risk

Joining a book club or signing up to learn a new language may well give your brain the mental stimulation it needs to ward off dementia.

A new study has found that having to engage in such activities in later life can help protect against cognitive decline, which in turn may reduce the risk of someone developing dementia.

Everything from playing chess to pottering around the garden can prove beneficial, but learning new skills or launching yourself into a brand-new hobby is arguably the most effective way to get a mental workout.

The Engage Your Brain report said: “It is never too late to benefit from cognitively stimulating activities, and you can learn new things at any age.

“In the same way that you need to maintain exercise for physical strength, you need to participate in mental activities to support the health of your brain.”

However, the study is more sceptical about the relative benefits of the many “brain training” apps and computer games which have grown in popularity.

The suggestion is that while these programmes may well improve a specific skill, be it vocabulary or memory, there is less evidence that they boost overall performance.

By contrast, going to Spanish classes or learning to paint appears to pay dividends.

James Goodwin, chief scientist at the charity Age UK, said: “Many people think that all thinking skills decline with age, and we know there is certainly a lot of fear around this happening.

“But decline is not inevitable, and there are plenty of activities that we can start today that can provide benefits for brain health.

“If they are new to you and require your concentrated attention they may even be activities that you do regularly in your life, such as playing with grandchildren, gardening or playing cards.”

SOURCE: care@home
The overriding impression seems to be that any kind of stimulus that engage the brain and our imagination can bring only benefits in the long run. 

Family's fury after police try to Taser grandfather with dementia at care home when he pulled out butter knife

A man with Alzheimer’s had a Taser fired at him by police at his care home – because he pulled out a butter knife.

Grandfather David Litherland, 73, was taken to hospital after falling when the weapon’s dart pierced his chest.

Wife Theresa said: “It was the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen, I can still see the pain etched on his face.”

The Taser had failed to deploy the 50,000-volt shock that could have killed her husband, but he fell to the floor, banging his head.

Staff had called an ambulance when David became aggressive at lunch. They say the ambulance despatch contacted police.

Theresa, 62, said: “David had sat down to eat lunch when he started acting aggressively.

“This often happens when he is feeling unwell or frustrated as he can’t process his emotions.

“I got a call asking me to come to help. When I arrived the police were walking in – I had no idea they were there for my husband.

“They approached David and asked him three times to take his hands out of his pocket. Eventually he did, produced the butter knife and they fired it at him.”

Theresa says after the incident at The Gables home in Sutton Coldfield, West Mids, police claimed David “lunged” at them.

She said: “It was just a butter knife he was having dinner with.

 “I can understand why the police were called, but not why they used such force.”

Former engineer David is being cared for at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield after a scan to check for a brain bleed.

West Midlands Police said officers found David aggressive and in possession of a knife.

They said: “As they approached he threatened them. They deployed a Taser so he could be safely restrained.”

Care home owner Sarj Bisla said: “We called the ambulance, told them his medical history and that he had a knife. They must have informed the police.

“The officers who came didn’t know about David’s illness.”

SOURCE: Mirror, Courtney Greatrex