Covid-19 Information Update
Virtual Tour Schedule a Tour Plano (972) 881-1826
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Knowledge
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Ombudsman Program
Dementia

Can Exercise Prevent Dementia?

Kim Trevey on May 3, 2022
Bader House Memory Care

If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia and memory loss, you know how heartbreaking it can be. Watching your loved one slip away from you is incredibly difficult. Not only that, this experience makes you worry about your own future.

Will I get dementia too?

Or, can I prevent it?

With six million Americans coping with Alzheimer’s disease, a lot of us are asking this question. And that includes researchers. With the rise in Alzheimer’s and other memory-related impairments, medical research has focused a lot of time, money and energy on researching how to prevent dementia.

While there isn’t a pill, surgery, or quick fix that will ensure you don’t incur memory loss at some point in your life, a growing body of research has linked regular exercise to a lower risk of dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Society in the UK looked at 11 different studies that researched the effect of exercise on middle-aged people. They found that “regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia by about 30 percent. For Alzheimer’s disease specifically, the risk was reduced by 45 percent.”

How Can Exercise help prevent dementia?

Exercise has numerous benefits. Most of us know that it’s good for our heart health and overall physical health, but exercise is also good for our brains.

As Heather Snyder, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, said, “What’s good for your heart is good for your brain.”

This is because physical activity increases blood flow to the brain as well as increasing chemicals that protect the brain. When you exercise, you get a boost of the BDNF protein which helps “promote the formation of new neurons and minimize the loss of existing ones.” This is especially helpful for the hippocampus—a part of the brain associated with memory.

Can Exercise Prevent Dementia? - Kim Trevey, Bader House

What type of exercise prevents dementia?

Studies show that aerobic exercise—any exercise that raises your heart rate—is best for preventing dementia. Running, cycling, swimming, and even walking are excellent forms of aerobic exercise.

According to the Mayo Clinic, performing aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes several times a week…

  • keeps thinking and reasoning skills sharp.
  • improves memory and cognitive function for people who already have mild Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive impairments.
  • delays the start of Alzheimer’s for those who are at risk.
  • increases the size of the hippocampus.

While all forms of movement are beneficial, the Alzheimer’s Society examined 29 clinical trials and concluded that “a month or more of regular aerobic exercise resulted in improvements in memory, attention and processing speed when compared with regular non-aerobic exercises such as stretching and toning.”

Even if you haven’t exercised in a long time, or ever, don’t worry. As Snyder said, “The data suggest that it’s never too late to start.” Exercising in mid-life seems to be a key factor in prevention.

What else helps prevent dementia?

Exercise alone cannot prevent dementia and even the most avid exercisers are not immune to Alzheimer’s or dementia. But exercise is a crucial part of a larger wellness strategy that could help fend off memory loss. Proper nutrition, social activity, good sleep and hobbies that challenge your brain such as crossword puzzles can all aid in keeping your brain healthy and your memory functioning properly.

One in nine adults over the age of 65 and a third of adults over age 85 have Alzheimer’s disease. According to the CDC, this is an epidemic. Fortunately, with the wealth of research now available on this disease and dementia, we know basic and simple lifestyle changes, such as exercise, can affect the risk of memory loss. With this knowledge and the research that continues, we can have hope for a brighter and healthier future.

NEXT > Finding Alzheimer’s Disease Before Symptoms Appear
Memory Care - Alzheimer's - Dementia - Bader House Plano
Memory Care vs. Nursing Home - Bader House Plano
6 Things You Should Know About Memory Care Facilities - Bader House Plano
Call us for more information

(972) 881-1826

Bader House Plano

1667 W. Plano Parkway
Plano, TX 75075

Bader House Memory Care Plano
Have more questions?

Contact Us

Want to see our facility?

Schedule a Tour

Want to receive updates?

Subscribe to Newsletter

Copyright 2025 - Bader House Memory Care

Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions

Built with and by Jeff Payne Co.

Bader House Memory Care Plano
Call Us

Call us for more information

(972) 881-1826

Bader House Plano

1667 W. Plano Parkway
Plano, TX 75075

Have more questions?

Contact Us

Want to see our facility?

Schedule a Tour

Want to recieve updates?

Subscribe to Newsletter

`

Covid Information

Continuing an Environment of Caring in Times of COVID-19


Safety of Residents and Staff

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve, our communities are focused on keeping our Residents and staff safe while also maintaining Resident engagement and daily fulfillment. We are taking a cautious approach, balancing the highest level of safety within the least restrictive environment.

We will continue to follow and augment State and C.D.C. safety recommendations:

Screening: We screen every employee every day. We require our staff to complete a questionnaire (inquiring about possible symptoms, recent travel and exposure), have their temperature and oxygen level checked before entering the building. Staff are also required to clean their cell phones, keys and wash their hands while being observed. We monitor our Residents’ health closely with temperature and oxygen level checks at least twice a day. We help our Residents wash their hands throughout the day and encourage them to wear a mask or face covering.

Cleaning: We have enhanced our cleaning products with regard for their effectiveness in killing COVID-19 particles and proper sanitization and disinfection, using the EPA’s specific list of disinfectants for use against the coronavirus. We are using this list and training staff on how long cleaning solutions must be kept on a surface before wiping it off to ensure its effectiveness. We prioritize cleaning high-touch areas and horizontal surfaces, cleaning them several times a day.

Physical Distancing: We encourage 6 foot distancing between Residents and with staff unless they are providing direct care to a Resident.

Testing: We test all Residents and staff for COVID-19 every three weeks, and more as needed. Our nurses utilize a PCR test, which we send to a private lab to expedite results.

Physical Changes: We have installed ultraviolet lights in our air conditioners that supply air to the common areas of the houses. This method is believed to be helpful in killing bacteria that is cycled through the systems and pushed back into the house. We’ve also enhanced our HVAC filters to near HEPA levels, trying to add additional layers of protection to keep COVID-19 out of the building. Most importantly, air purifiers have been added to common areas and each resident room.

PPE: Staff members wear masks at all times and we encourage Residents to wear masks when outside their rooms. We also encourage physical distancing between our Residents. Staff wears additional protective equipment when deemed necessary while caring for our Residents. Staff are continually trained on when and how to use personal protective equipment (PPE).

Individual Needs Stay Paramount

The uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 affects us all. At our communities, we are not letting it stop us from safely offering a life well-lived. Above all, we are providing the utmost attention to the safety and well-being of our Residents. Our Program has always revolved around the individualized needs of each Resident and this has not changed during COVID-19. Residents are still able to connect with each other and staff while maintaining a safe physical distance. Weather permitting, we enjoy the patio and large backyard. We continue to keep our Residents engaged through cognitive, physical, recreational experiences. We offer enjoyment and connection throughout the day even during these unprecedented times.

Visitors

Since early March we have restricted facility access to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Essential Visitors: Healthcare providers including physicians, home health, private duty services, physical therapy and hospice staff have not been allowed in the communities unless there is an acute, essential need for our Residents. These services continue as needed through FaceTime, tele-med and phone conversations. If physical access is absolutely necessary, the individual will complete our questionnaire and screening for temperature and oxygen stats. No one is allowed in the community if they fail to meet our screening criteria.

Families: We are happy to help schedule window visits, FaceTime, Zoom and phone calls with your loved ones based on what is allowed and prudent. To ensure the proper support from our staff, our visits are scheduled ahead of time.

Tours and Move-Ins

Tours: We recognize that regardless of the changes with COVID-19, your need for senior living hasn’t changed. For the safety of you, our Residents and staff, we are currently offering virtual tours where you can see our community, as well as meet our staff. Please contact our Community Relations Director to set up a virtual tour.

Move-Ins: We are accepting a limited number of move-ins (unless otherwise instructed by public health department). New Residents must be tested for COVID-19 prior to move-in. Upon admission, we will place a new resident in their room to quarantine as an additional precaution.

We will share community-specific information with residents and families as our quarantine measures continue to evolve with new information of COVID-19.

We are honored to care for your family member and loved one.

 

Comments we’ve received from our families during COVID-19.

“We appreciate all of your efforts. Your team clearly is a leader in the response to COVID. Thank you for keeping our loved ones safe.”

Joseph

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for ALL you have done and are doing to keep the residents and staff in a safe environment! The continuous learning and improvements empower caregivers and families to do better at home and in our communities.”

Tommy

“I appreciate you taking the time to update us and share them with my family living in AL, GA, VA, MD, FL…we are extremely grateful and comforted by your proactive and decisive measures! We’ll continue to keep you in prayer for health, safety and more.”

Rebecca

“In keeping with the parade theme you had, the employees there are super heroes. They are plowing forward in the midst of this horrible virus and taking care of their patients selflessly. I just wanted to acknowledge their bravery and dedication and thank them from the bottom of my heart for the goodness in their hearts and their dedication to their patients and jobs.”

Abigail

“Thank you! You locked down early & your diligence has paid well.

The Bader support group continues meeting once a month by Zoom. We all appreciate you so much. Everyone comments on how grateful we are that our parents are at Bader House!

We appreciate everything: sending us pictures, calls, alerts to bring supplies/clothes as needed, staying in virtual contact with hospice.
Blessings to each of you.”

Marsha

“Thank you for all y’all and all the staff are doing for my mom and the other residents. We truly appreciate your hard work.”

Carol

Bader House Memory Care Plano
Subscribe to Newsletter

Receive our bi-weekly newsletter. It’s filled with expert advice to help you learn about the latest in memory care, dementia care, and Alzheimer’s disease. We won’t send you any spam and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Schedule a Tour
  • At Bader House, we provide three options for facility tours.

    1. Online Virtual Tour: View a virtual online tour of our facility.

    2. Virtual Tour Live: Request a virtual live tour of our facility via FaceTime with a Bader House staff member.

    3. In Person Tour: Request an on-site tour.