Take Care of Your Brain: AARP Texas Recognizes June as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

Healthy body. Healthy brain. Take care of your brain, and it will take care of you.

It’s a mantra that AARP wants everyone to know, and it’s a reason why we, at AARP Texas, join in recognizing June as Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness Month.

This occasion is an opportunity to hold conversations about the brain and share the fact that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are a major public health issue. Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

More than 7 million Americans, including about 460,000 Texans aged 65 and older, are living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s kills more Americans every year than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.

AARP encourages everyone to take up brain healthy lifestyles. We want to make it easier for everyone to build better minds across their lifespan. The good news is that people are living longer. But as we age, the risks for dementia go up. So, the even better news is that there’s a lot that we can do to stay healthy as we age.

Cognitive decline is not inevitable if we take brain health actions now. Brain health begins with these six pillars:

• Get ongoing exercise
• Engage your brain
• Be social
• Get restorative sleep
• Manage stress, and
• Eat right.

There are a lot of fun ways to get started on a brain healthy lifestyle, and AARP Texas regularly hosts programs – some in person and some online – to foster greater brain health. For instance, many people enjoy dancing, painting, and gardening. And it’s important to sustain brain healthy habits at work, at home, and in communities. Experts say these habits can reduce health risks to our brains over our lifetimes.

For your fitness and brain health journey, AARP Texas offers a variety of fun, virtual wellness classes designed to help you feel stronger, healthier, and more energized. It’s never too late to Get Fit with AARP Texas.

AARP is a leading force in brain health. And here in Texas, AARP has been working with state leadership to help the Lone Star State grow as a global innovation hub for understanding dementias and improving brain health.

For one, AARP Texas backed legislative efforts this year to pass the largest investment in brain health of any U.S. state: a bipartisan bill to allocate $3 billion over 10 years for the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), which would be modeled after Texas’ success as an innovator in cancer research.

Last November, AARP Texas Director Tina Tran announced support for DPRIT funding, saying, “A stronger state focus on dementia will bring to light vital information to promote healthier brains and empower people to lower their own risks, potentially delaying dementia onset and fostering healthy aging.”

In another move this year, AARP Texas joined with other groups, including the Alzheimer’s Association, in supporting passage of a bill to require prospective guardians to complete a basic training course that includes instruction on recognizing early warning signs of dementia and strengthening safeguards for Texans with dementia living under guardianship.

Throughout June, take the time to learn the warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease and start a conversation with your loved one, especially if you start to notice changes that may be related to dementia.

At AARP Texas, we believe that no matter our age, we can all build better brain health. The sooner you start a conversation on the matter, the better you can prepare and respond to the changes that may come.

• For free resources and information from AARP on brain health, visit https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/.
  
• Additional information can be found at the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Mark Hollis can be reached at mhollis@aarp.org or 512.574.3739.