Sally Davis, leads programs and services directed to caregivers and the community at Amazing Place. The Houston non-profit is dedicated to helping families deal with the challenge of dementia and Alztheimer’s. About 5.8 million people across the country currently have Alztheimer’s disease or related dementias, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So, how can you nurture your brain health today or deal with dementia when a loved one is diagnosed?
If someone’s loved one has dementia, what can they do to help them now?
“There’s so much denial in the beginning. You have to work through that. That is not easy. There are professional counselors that can help, even the person with dementia get through that. For communication strategies, you join their journey. Instead of asking them, ‘Who they sat next to at lunch?’ No, tell me about the taste of lunch. What did it smell like today?’ Just trying to get to a basic emotion or sense, not the details. Just taking a deep breath and trying to find out what your local support is gonna be. It’s a journey. Sadly, it’s not a sprint.”
No matter what your age, how can someone nurture their brain health today?
“You just gotta move. As you get older, just getting dressed takes energy and choleric expenditure. Gardening, that’s moving. Housekeeping, that’s moving. Walking to their mailbox is moving. We encourage people to move. Join a class. If you like working with a trainer, work with a trainer. If you have a best friend that you’re going to meet everyday for walking, do that. So, managing stress, eating clean, moving, and then cognitive stimulation. It can be anything from doing Wordle, brain games, to simply wearing your watch on another arm, or taking another route to work.”
During the summer, what are some outdoor activities that help brain health?
“Go smell the flowers. Be in nature. Go to the beach and put your foot in the water. Go listen to music. Anything auditory. We’re blessed in Houston to have amazing restaurants. Go to Miller Outdoor Theatre. Not only is it stimulating, it’s a stress reducer because you’re taken away in the moment. It’s okay if you don’t even remember it the next day. In that moment, it provided you with what you needed."
