What is brain fog? Brain fog is a fairly new term used to describe a myriad of symptoms that come in and temporarily affect the way a person feels like their brain is working. It’s described as a veil that is placed over cognitive abilities making those thought processes more difficult to access and utilize. It can be frustrating and worrisome for an aging loved one. If your senior is concerned about keeping their cognitive abilities, here are a few things to consider about brain fog and how home care assistance can help.

Some struggles that may occur when brain fog happens are:

• Loss of problem-solving ability. Simply picking out what to eat for dinner may be overwhelming.
• Inability to focus. Your loved one may feel like she cannot focus on the conversation you’re having, a TV show she’s watching, or the email she’s reading.
• A dullness in reaction time. Things seem to slow down in a brain fog, making any needed progress come to a complete halt.
• Memory loss. A normal, everyday word is suddenly unable to be remembered or your loved one may be unsure about what road to take to get home.
• A sudden sleepiness. Your loved one may suddenly feel very tired for no reason and feel like sleeping is the best course of action. It’s a complete feeling of weariness and fatigue that comes along with the brain fog.

Common Causes of Brain Fog

Brain fog can be caused by many things, both environmental and physiological. Sometimes it can be quickly and easily remedied by just a few short actions.

• Dehydration. Seniors are more likely to become dehydrated because they don’t get as thirsty as they did when they were younger, causing them to forget to drink enough fluid during the day.
• Medication Side Effects or the mixing of multiple medications.
• Sleep Deprivation. Many seniors don’t sleep well and being constantly deprived of sleep makes cognitive functions more difficult and likely to become interrupted.
• Poor Nutrition. Cognitive health is strongly linked to what we eat. Nutritional deficiencies of B12, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids can all reduce cognitive abilities.
• Sedentary Lifestyle. Not being physically active not only affects the muscles and bones of the body, it also affects the brain and how well it can function. Staying physically active increases cognitive function, memory, and mental clarity but can be difficult for seniors to participate without help.
• Certain health conditions. Diabetes, thyroid disorders, and autoimmune diseases can all contribute to brain fog type of symptoms.

Steps to Reduce Bouts of Brain Fog

Lifestyle changes may help your elderly loved one have fewer occurrences of brain fog and thus feel more confident in their ability to continue to live independently. Having the help of a home care assistance team to implement certain lifestyle changes can provide your elderly loved one with the support she needs. A home care assistance team can work with you and your loved one to improve their diet, get better rest, or implement a regular exercise program.

If your loved one continues to battle brain fog or if it seems to be happening more regularly and with greater strength, you should help her plan a visit to her medical specialist to determine if any medical conditions are causing this side effect.

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Olney, MD, please contact the caring staff at Care At Home today. 301-970-9706

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Ann Smith RN

Owner at Care at Home

Ann Smith, RN, Realtor® Your local Home care and Home transition expert Ann is a Registered Nurse and a Realtor with a passion and dedication to serving her community. She has over twenty years of nursing experience in pediatric, geriatric, home health care, and care management. She founded Care at Home, a home care company, to provide seniors with services that promote independence and safe aging in place. Ann is dedicated to helping seniors achieve stress-free retirement living by providing comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's mother instilled in her the value of hard work, dedication, and service to others at a young age, which is now a driving force in her home care agency. Her caring and compassionate work with seniors began when she was just 17 years old. She was offered a job as a caregiver. Just as quickly, she instinctively knew that this would be her life's work. She soon became a nurse and has since helped many older adults transition seamlessly into a new phase of life. While helping seniors and individuals with their home care needs, it became apparent that part of the transition process often involved selling their current home for more suitable living arrangements. That's when Ann decided to add real estate services to alleviate stress and enhance her client's experience. It's also how she became known as the Home Transition Agent. Today, Ann helps her mature clients achieve stress-free retirement living by providing in-home care and comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's love for children and dedication to helping families caring for children with chronic health conditions inspired Pediatric Care at Home, a division of Care at Home that provides pediatric nursing care. Ann and her team are dedicated to providing compassionate care to all, from infants to older adults. When Ann isn't busy helping her patients and clients, she volunteers her time at women's shelters and fostering dogs. She and her veteran husband enjoy a simple life in the countryside, where farm animals and country life surround them. Ann also enjoys reading, photography, gardening, and nature walk with their dogs.

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