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ers and hout the study to identify and better understand the risk factors. We need 700 participants, and are currently recruiting in Cambridge, Edinburgh and Cardiff, so would encourage anyone who might be interested to get in touch.”
The society is also partly funding a clinical trial, testing a drug used for type 2 diabetes in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
Lotty explains: “There hasn’t been a new drug for dementia in the past 15 years. It takes about 20 years and millions of pounds to develop a new drug from scratch. This way, there could be better treatments available in half the time of a standard drug.”
Visit alzheimers.org.uk/research to find out how to get involved. While it’s not possible to completely eradicate the chances of developing dementia, there are things you can do to try to cut your risk. “We still don’t know what causes dementia, but we just advise people to keep as healthy as possible,” says Lotty. “We say, what’s good for your heart, is good for your head. Keep physically and mentally active. Have a healthy diet, take plenty of exercise and don’t smoke.”
Alzheimer’s Society recommends either 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or pushing a lawnmower, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging or fast swimming, each week.
It also advises eating lots of fruit and vegetables, having protein at least twice a week and drinking six to eight glasses of water a day.
Quitting smoking and reducing how much alcohol you drink are also highly recommended. Smoking harms the circulation of blood, including via the blood vessels in the brain.
Exercising your mind is likely to reduce your risk of dementia. You could learn a new language or do puzzles. Communicating with THE Alzheimer Society of Ireland is always looking for people to help its fight against Alzheimer’s. No matter how big or small your involvement is, it makes a huge difference to the lives of those living with Alzheimer’s and their carers. There are many ways to get involved. You can take part in one of teh many fundraising events such as Tea Day, Mini Marathon or one of the overseas challenges, you can help campaign to improve the lives of people with dementia, learn more about some of the new initiatives being developed around the country for people with dementia or volunteer your time by supporting it in the many different aspects of its work. Visit www.alzheimers.ie. others may also help to reduce your risk – especially if you live alone. From support groups and helplines to special care homes and helpful tips to use around the home, there are many places you can turn to after a diagnosis...
■ Dementia cafes provide a safe and supportive place for people to discuss their diagnosis, or somebody else’s, and think about what it means for the future. You can get answers from health professionals and meet and learn from other people in similar situations, make new friends and build up your confidence.
■ The National Dementia Helpline (1800 341 341) is open six days a week, and there are activity groups up and down the country, from Music & Memory, a non-profit organisation, brings personalised music into the lives of those with Alzheimer’s, through digital technology. “Our senses, sight and smell really light up a very small part of the brain,” says creator Dan Cohen, from New York. “But music lights up many parts of the brain. So even though the brain may deteriorate in certain areas, other areas of the brain are still very much there.” In 2008, he started handing out ipods to nursing home residents in Brooklyn so they could have personalised music. A decade later, Music & Memory helps 4,500 sites across America.
Family members, nurses and music therapists help to create the playlist for each person, and Tony Lewis, president and CEO of Cobble Hill Health Care – the first home to benefit from ipods – says the results have been outstanding. “Despite the enormous sums of money spent on mood and behaviour-altering medications that are often not particularly effective, nothing compares to these ipods when it comes to improving quality of life,” he says.
Music lights up many parts of the brain. Some parts may deteriorate but others are still very much there
It may sound like a simple idea, but personalising doors at a care home in Western Sydney is helping residents with dementia to recognise their rooms. The care home is the first in the city to personalise its doors with decals to help jog residents’ memories.
One of them, Doreen Brazewell, 90, originally from England, says: “The door reminds me of the terrace houses I had in England. It’s just like the doors when I was younger.”
Her green door uses a custom-made stick-on decal, which allows Doreen to easily identify her room. It has replaced the bland cream door originally used throughout the facility, which often left residents with dementia confused and walking into the wrong room.