Outreach Messages – Preserving Our Stories: A Guide to Brain Health and Support
Januray is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month – This January, our outreach team invite you to explore ways to protect your brain health, understand dementia, and find support for yourself or your loved ones.
If you or someone you care for needs help finding community resources or navigating next steps, please feel free to reach out to our Outreach team. We’re here to walk alongside you.
Caring for Our Memories, Our Brains, and Each Other
Do you remember the crisp fabric of the clothes you wore on your first day of school? Or perhaps the name of your first-grade teacher? Sometimes, a sudden scent—the aroma of the first meal you cooked after moving away from home, or the fragrance a loved one wore on a first date—can transport you instantly back in time.
Our memories make us unique. They provide our identity and, as time passes, they offer a sense of familiarity and comfort. However, when our capacity for remembering begins to change, it is natural to feel a sense of uncertainty.
How You Can Get Involved
- Learn: Understand the signs and risk factors to empower yourself and others.
- Share: Help us spread awareness in the community and online.
- Support: Participate in local seniors’ events or support organizations.
- Advocate: Help us break the stigma surrounding dementia and push for better support systems for all seniors.
Understanding Your Brain Health
While the risk of developing dementia—particularly Alzheimer’s disease—increases at age 65, it is important to remember that it is not a normal part of aging. The good news is that we can be proactive. While lifestyle changes cannot reverse Alzheimer’s, they can significantly reduce its impact and minimize further cognitive decline.
Steps to Take Today:
- Get Checked: A healthcare professional can provide certainty and guidance.
- Prioritize Diet & Exercise: Focus on nutrition and resistance training (weight lifting).
- Stay Involved: In Okinawa, the word “retirement” doesn’t even exist. Keeping your brain active and staying socially engaged are among the best ways to prevent decline.
- Monitor Progress: Cognitive tests can help you track your brain health, and scores can often improve with positive lifestyle shifts.
The Caregiver’s Bookshelf: Resources for the Journey
Whether you are looking to prevent decline or are currently navigating a diagnosis, these highly recommended books offer science-backed advice and heartfelt support.
For Prevention and Brain Health
- Dementia Prevention: Using Your Head to Save Your Brain by Emily Clionsky, MD: A science-based guide focusing on blood pressure, sleep, and social engagement.
- The Alzheimer’s Solution by Dean & Ayesha Sherzai, MD: Introduces the “NEURO” plan (Nutrition, Exercise, Unwind, Restore, Optimize).
The “Gold Standards” for Management
- The 36-Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins: The essential guide for families on medical, legal, and behavioral planning.
- Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s by Joanne Koenig Coste: Teaches “habilitation”—learning to enter your loved one’s reality rather than correcting them.
- Creating Moments of Joy Along the Alzheimer’s Journey by Jolene Brackey: A beautiful reminder that even if a memory fades, the feeling of joy remains in the spirit.
Practical & Personal Support
- The Caregiver’s Guide to Dementia by Gail Weatherill: Practical tips for daily tasks like bathing and safety.
- Still Alice by Lisa Genova: A moving novel that captures the internal experience of the disease.
- My Father’s Brain by Sandeep Jauhar: A memoir blending a son’s personal journey with scientific insight.
Outreach in Action: A Helping Hand
Our Outreach team is here to help you navigate the complexities of health changes. Recently, a local physician contacted us regarding a patient experiencing health declines and dementia who needed more suitable housing.
Our Registered Social Worker was able to provide immediate direction by connecting them to the AHS Community Care Intake line (Community Care Access). Alberta Health Services then completes an assessment to determine the specific level of need and refers the individual to the appropriate housing and community support. If you are feeling overwhelmed by “next steps,” our Outreach team is here for you.
Get the Support You Deserve!
The We Seniors Outreach team is dedicated to empowering you through life’s hurdles. Comprehensive help is available and just one phone call away.
Get the support you deserve — winter shouldn’t be faced alone.
Outreach & Home Support
780 483 1209
Shelly Kuny ext. 223
Gaby Sanchez ext. 232