Eating healthy and staying active is important for everyone, especially those with Alzheimer’s or dementia. As the disease progresses, it can be challenging to maintain these habits.

Why it matters: Healthy eating and activity can improve quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers. Here are some tips to help:

Try this:

• Find activities the person can do, like chores, cooking, exercise, or gardening. Match activities to their abilities.
• Help them start an activity or join in to make it more fun.
• Add music to exercises or activities for motivation. If possible, dance to the music.
• Be realistic about activity levels. Short “mini-workouts” may be best.
• Walk together daily. It’s beneficial for caregivers, too!
  ​

Healthy eating tips:

• Buy easy-to-prepare healthy foods, like premade salads and single portions.
• Give choices about what to eat, like “Would you like yogurt or cottage cheese?”
  ​

Additional helpful resource links 

​https://www.alz.org/help-support/brain_health
​https://www.cdc.gov/aging/olderadultsandhealthyaging/maintainng-your-brain-health.html