Risk for Dementia May Increase after Disasters, Recent Study Says

Seniors who have just gone through a natural disaster and were forced to evacuate their homes and were separated from their neighbors may have greater tendencies of incurring dementia, a recent study poses.

Researchers from Harvard University in Boston reiterated on how cognitive decline also serves as a huge issue aside from mental health issues such as post traumatic stress disorder.

For instance, in a survey involving older adults in Japan who went through the tsunami, it was found that from 4 percent prior to the calamity, after two years, the elderly who acquired dementia rose to 12 percent. The same goes with stroke, which almost doubled from 1.5 to 2.9 percent.

Those who ended up staying in temporary housing turned out to have the highest degrees of cognitive decline. Those with severely damaged homes also had a steeper decline as compared to those with mild damages only.

Looking into this issue, home care services providers and other caregivers can take note of their patients’ cognitive health to deliver the best possible services.

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