Memory is a fragile treasure that your senior home care specialist should be aware of. The following guide will help enlighten you about ways to improve your loved one's memory with the help of your loved one's caregiver.

Memory-Enhancing Foods

Believe it or not, there are certain foods that should help protect and fight-off memory damaging diseases. The following are some memory-enhancing foods your senior home care specialist can include in your loved one's diet:

1. Berries: Researchers have been studying the memory-enhancing effects of berries on elderly folks. The two berries that stand out are strawberries and blueberries. Berries are helpful to the health of your loved one because they contain a large amount of flavonoids. Flavonoids help reduce inflammation and repair damaged cells, which should be helpful if your loved one suffers from such diseases like arthritis. But the reason that berries are helpful has to the brain deals with a flavonoid called anthocyanidin that is unique to berries. This flavonoid has the ability to penetrate into your brain, locate damaged cells and ultimately heal those cells that are usually related to memory. 
2. Omega 3: This does not require too much of an introduction, as it is spoken about by many health enthusiasts. Most experts concentrate on the improvement of blood circulation, but do not mention that this blood improvement also helps take vitamins and oxygen to the brain. This should help keep your loved one's brain healthy and strong. 

Your home care specialist should encourage and try to feed brain-friendly foods to help your loved one's memory. But there is something else to consider.

The Scent of Mint And The Brain

This might sound strange, but what your loved one's caregiver uses to clean your loved one's home may also help boost your loved one's mental health. Research has shown that mint can improve problem solving skills, memory, concept formation, judgement and attention span. The secret is that mint contains a powerful mental-stimulant called menthol. Menthol affects certain olfactory membranes in your nose that activate a part of your brain called hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for many functions in the brain like the ones just mentioned.

The hippocampus is also responsible for energizing the body, so you might see your loved one full of energy if you use cleaning supplies with mint scents. Just make sure that your senior home care specialist uses naturally based cleaning products, as those contain stronger and natural forms of menthol. That should make the scent even more powerful.

If your loved one needs a home caregiver, visit South Florida Home Care.