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Battling dementia

UPCAP offers class, support

Chances are, you know or have known someone with dementia. Maybe it is a loved one, a friend, or an acquaintance. An estimated 5 million adults at least 65 years of age had dementia in 2014, and this number is projected to be nearly 14 million by 2060, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(Stock image courtesy of Pixels)

MARQUETTE — Chances are, you know or have known someone with dementia. Maybe it is a loved one, a friend, or an acquaintance.

An estimated 5 million adults at least 65 years of age had dementia in 2014, and this number is projected to be nearly 14 million by 2060, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, what are we doing to combat this issue?

“Twenty years ago, the Canadian province of Ontario launched an aggressive campaign to tackle stroke from every angle: It hyped prevention and awareness; beefed up its acute care practices and response times; and increased access to post-stroke rehabilitation. It worked,” an Associated Press article titled “Making a Lifetime of Good Brain Health a Global Priority” by Laura Williamson states. “Stroke rates fell 32% within a decade. But that wasn’t all. Dementia rates also fell — by about 7% — confirming what Dr. Vladimir Hachinski, a research pioneer in this field, already suspected: Preventing strokes helps prevent dementias.”

Now, Canada is exploring how to apply this lesson nationwide. And Hachinski, the neuroscientist leading the effort, has an even bigger vision. He wants the whole world to focus not solely on stroke and dementia prevention but on any and everything that can go wrong with the brain — and how to keep things going right.

“You need your brain to be healthy,” Hachinski told The Associated Press. “There is no health without brain health.”

The Canadian-led Dementia Prevention Brain Health Initiative is a first step in that direction. It will map regions of good and poor brain health, dementia, stroke and heart disease by tracking population, environmental, socioeconomic and individual risk factors, along with factors that protect brain health. And it won’t stop at Canada’s borders. The effort involves researchers from the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand to identify cost-effective ways of reducing dementia, the Associated Press reported.

“Every year, there are more strokes, more heart attacks, more dementias,” said Hachinski, who helped form the World Brain Alliance, a coalition of nine of the world’s largest brain-focused organizations. “The more we can delay or prevent this, the better we are able to cope because, otherwise, all health care systems around the world will be overwhelmed.”

Although dementia is not curable, there are ways to reduce the risk of it. The World Health Organization recommends being physically active, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling weight, eating healthy, maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

However, there are risk factors associated with dementia that are hard to manage, or completely out of one’s control. These include lack of education, head injuries, age, genetics, race and ethnicity. The CDC states, “older African Americans are twice more likely to have dementia than whites. Hispanics, 1.5 times more likely to to have dementia than whites.”

It is important to be patient with those who have, or who are developing dementia. Some tips to gently help those affected are to: help them write down appointments, events, and medication schedules; speak in a calm manner and listen to their fears or concerns; respect their personal space; and instead of saying “you don’t remember?” when they cannot recall an memory, kindly remind them.

Thankfully, there are local resources available for those who have a loved one or friend struggling with dementia, or those who have dementia. The Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress will be offering Developing Dementia Dexterity: Online Dementia Training for Caregivers. This free, online, three-part dementia training class will provide caregivers with information, strategies and support to help them care for a loved one with dementia. The dates for this class are Jan. 18, Jan. 25, and Feb. 1. All classes are from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The topics for the classes are as follows:

≤ Jan. 18, The Dementia Overview for Family and Friends.

≤ Jan. 25, Planning Activities for Persons with Dementia.

≤ Feb. 1, Understanding Behavior and Support Needs of Persons with Dementia.

For more information, and to register by Jan. 16, visit www.upcap.org. For assistance, call 211 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Taylor Johnson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is tjohnson@miningjournal.net.

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