Approximately 40% of people with Frontotemporal Dementia inherited it.

15% of all dementia diagnoses are Frontotemporal Dementia.

These numbers are significant for many reasons; however, a recent study identified that active lifestyles may slow the symptoms of the disease by providing some form of cognitive resilience to the consequences of brain degeneration.

Per Kaitlin Casaletto, Ph.D., from the University of California, San Francisco, functional decline assessed by participants’ family members, was 55% slower in the most active participants compared to the least active.

A recent study identified that active lifestyles may slow the symptoms of Frontotemporal Dementia. Click To Tweet

Wow, that’s amazing! Simply having an active lifestyle can help in reducing the effects of this debilitating disease? Think about it, we talk about active lifestyles being healthier than sedentary lifestyles but who would have known how true this is!

What can we do to help our residents? How about “beefing up” our activity programs to include things like walks around the building, in the courtyard, chair aerobics, using a Wii, outings where we take residents bowling or to a park for a walk? There is no limit to encouraging an active lifestyle.

Talk to your residents, families, and caregivers for ideas! Maybe have a contest for the most innovative activity that results in the highest number of participants!

The sky’s the limit, just do it!