SLR Launches Innovative Diet and Nutrition Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Unprecedented Nutrition Program for Assisted Living Residents To Promote Cognitive Health and Lower the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Boston (September 14, 2009) – When asked, Americans rate Alzheimer’s disease as their second most-feared illness, following cancer. Currently, there are five million people living with this disease in the United States. Recent research suggests that diet may play an important role in the cause and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, indicating that there may be something each of us can do to stave off this devastating illness.

For the past two years Senior Living Residences (SLR), a Boston-based company with a reputation as a leader in providing Alzheimer’s care to New England seniors, has been implementing a cognitively protective diet and nutrition program at its independent and assisted living communities. Following a research-based model of treatment and care and placing a strong emphasis on innovation, SLR is the first assisted living company in the nation to offer a researched-based nutrition program focused on brain health in its communities.

The program, developed by SLR and implemented in conjunction with internationally recognized expert Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD, adjunct research assistant professor of neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine and president of Health Care Insights, LLC, is a unique evidence-based program, based on the Mediterranean diet and incorporating foods and spices specifically selected for their nutrient-rich properties and linked in research to healthy cognition, into everyday diet to improve overall brain health.

Integrating information from hundreds of studies looking at the connections between the Mediterranean diet, cognitive health, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease and its related risk factors, SLR’s program seeks to improve brain function, decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease for an individual who has already been diagnosed.

In August, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported findings from a compelling study describing a direct connection between diet and cognitive health. One of the most comprehensive studies on diet and cognition to date, researchers found that individuals who follow a “Mediterranean-type diet” have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, individuals who adhered to a Mediterranean diet had a 32-40 percent decreased risk fMediterranean omega-3 dietor developing Alzheimer’s disease. In the same study, adherence to the diet combined with physical activity resulted in a 61-67 percent risk reduction for developing the disease.

Robert Larkin, president of Senior Living Residences said, “This major study reinforces what we have been working on for the last two years in providing our residents with the health benefits of a brain healthy diet. Our program implementation, which is truly ahead of the curve, includes all of the basic elements of the well-known and well-documented Mediterranean diet with its cognitive health protective factors.”

The main foods that are indicated through the Mediterranean diet include lean protein like fish and seafood, legumes and nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables and of course, whole grains. SLR’s program includes an added emphasis brain-boosting foods like specific spices and foods containing omega-three fatty acids and also focuses on reducing cholesterol and substituting healthy fats such as omega 3 and mono-unsaturated fats for saturated and trans fats foods. Another major feature of the program is reducing the amount of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup in the overall diet. “All of these healthy foods in the right combinations provide the body with important disease-fighting antioxidants, nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties and also help to regulate blood sugar,” says Larkin. “These changes are all important for brain health and can benefit people of any age whether or not they have memory loss.”

About Senior Living Residences

 Since 1990, Senior Living Residences of Boston, MA has created service-enriched housing and care options for seniors in New England. Fervently adhering to its “Right Values”—Resident Quality of Life, Valued Associates, Integrity and Innovation—SLR is a trusted leader in the communities it serves through innovative programs and services, which exceed industry standards, as well as its high staff retention. Partnering with equally committed organizations, such as the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center, SLR remains at the forefront of research-based care for seniors, especially those living with Alzheimer’s disease. For more information, contact SLR at 617-268-9140 or online at www.SeniorLivingResidences.com.

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