This document provides information from the Alzheimer Society of Toronto's website about dementia, Alzheimer's disease, risk factors, lifestyle choices to promote brain health, and programs offered by the society. It defines dementia and its causes, compares normal and Alzheimer's-affected brains, lists signs and symptoms, and risk factors within and beyond our control. It recommends social engagement, physical activity, a healthy diet, managing stress, enough sleep, and mental challenges to take action for a healthier brain. The society offers services like counseling, support groups, workshops and an iPod project to provide personalized music to dementia patients.
1. Heads up For Healthier Brains
Julie Wong
www.alzheimertoronto.org
Julie Wong
Public Education Coordinator
2. • A set of symptoms, which include loss of memory,
understanding and judgment.
• Reversible: delirium, depression, thyroid or heart
What is Dementia?
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Reversible: delirium, depression, thyroid or heart
disease, alcohol abuse, malnutrition, drug
interaction
• Irreversible: Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular
Dementia, Fronto-temporal Disease, Lewy Body
Dementia
4. • 36 million people worldwide have
Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia
Statistics
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• 500,000 people in Canada have Alzheimer’s
Disease or a related dementia
• 71, 000 under the age of 65
5. Progressive: the amount of damage done by the
disease increases over time
Degenerative: the nerve cells/neurons in the brain
Defining Alzheimer’s Disease
www.alzheimertoronto.org
Degenerative: the nerve cells/neurons in the brain
degenerate or break down
Irreversible: damage caused by the disease cannot
be repaired - at present there is no
cure
7. Normal Brain vs Alzheimer Brain
www.alzheimertoronto.org
Normal Brain Brain Atrophied by Alzheimer Disease
8. Signs & Symptoms
1) Memory loss
2) Difficulty performing
familiar tasks
3) Problems with language
6) Problems with
abstract thinking
7) Misplacing things
www.alzheimertoronto.org
3) Problems with language
4) Disorientation of time
and place
5) Poor or decreased
judgment
8) Changes in mood and
behaviour
9) Changes in personality
10) Loss of initiative
9. • Age
• Gender
• Genetics
Risk Factors Beyond Our Control
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Genetics
10. Other Risk Factors
• Head injury
• Lack of physical
exercise
• Stress
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Stress
• Smoking
• Lack of mental or
intellectual challenge
• Low levels of formal
education
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Others
11. • Protect your head
• Be socially active
Take Action for a Healthier Brain
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Be socially active
• Choose a healthy life style
• Challenge your brain
13. • Join a club, hobby group or take a class
• Attend church/synagogue/temple/mosque
• Volunteer
• Visit or be visited by relatives/ friends
Be Socially Active
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Visit or be visited by relatives/ friends
14. • Be physically active
• Make healthy food choices
• Manage your stress
• Get enough sleep
Choose a Healthy Lifestyle
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Get enough sleep
• Track your health numbers
• Stop smoking and moderate your alcohol
consumption
15. • 87% of people who own running shoes do
not run
• Effective exercise is regular, sustained,
Be Physically Active
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Effective exercise is regular, sustained,
varied
• Choose activities you enjoy
16. • Mediterranean diet
– Quality/variety
– not quantity
Make Healthy Food Choices
www.alzheimertoronto.org
– not quantity
• Antioxidants
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Vitamins
17. • Interferes with normal physiological
equilibrium in the body
• Increases the release of cortisol
– Prepares body for action
Stress
www.alzheimertoronto.org
– Prepares body for action
• Some stress is good and necessary
• Prolonged stress is damaging
18. • A good sleep is a necessity not a luxury
• Any amount of sleep deprivation will
diminish mental performance
• Practice good sleep habits
Sleep
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Practice good sleep habits
19. • Be Heart healthy
– Body weight
– Blood pressure
– Cholesterol
Track your Health Numbers
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Blood sugar levels
• See your doctor regularly
• Get treatment for depression
20. • Use it or lose it
Challenge Your Brain
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Be a life long learner
• Technology and brain
health
21. • Stay curious
• Try something different
• Challenge your senses
Challenge Your Brain
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• Challenge your senses
• Do something new every day
23. Riddle me this…
• If you drop me I'm sure to crack but give me
a smile and I'll always smile back. What am
I?
www.alzheimertoronto.org
I?
24. • It’s never too late to start
• The more you do – the better
• No guarantees
Conclusion
www.alzheimertoronto.org
• No guarantees
25. • Counselling
• Support groups (varied and ongoing)
• Education and Information
– Workshops/Forums
Alzheimer Society of Toronto
Services and Programs
www.alzheimertoronto.org
– Workshops/Forums
– Resource Centre/Lending Library
– In person/online
• Ipod Project
• Finding your way
26. Grounded in extensive neuroscience about brain-music
response, personalized music has been shown to;
Act as a conduit of memory
Improve cognition and communication
Alzheimer Toronto Music & Memory
iPod Project
www.alzheimertoronto.org
Improve cognition and communication
Improve mood
Produce other desirable forms of interaction
Key is person appropriate music selection, not age
appropriate.
27. o iPod Packages provided to individuals whom;
1. Diagnosis of dementia
2. Reside in Toronto (416) (caregiver or person w/ dementia)
3. Caregiver willing to provide scheduled feedback (3,6,12 mos.)
Alzheimer Toronto Music & Memory:
iPod Project
www.alzheimertoronto.org
Contact:
Sabrina McCurbin; iPod Project Coordinator
416-640-6305 smccurbin@alzheimertoronto.org
www.alzheimertoronto.org/ipod.html
Available at NO COST upon approval
28. Finding Your Way is a program designed to:
• Raise awareness of the risk of going missing for people with
dementia
• Help prevent missing incidents by promoting the creation of a
www.alzheimertoronto.org 2
8
• Help prevent missing incidents by promoting the creation of a
safety plan
• Support the safe return of people who do go missing
All the programs tools can be downloaded and printed from the
Finding Your Way website:
www.findingyourwayontario.ca