{"id":4764,"date":"2025-09-18T07:01:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.villages.com.au\/?p=4764"},"modified":"2025-09-18T07:02:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:02:42","slug":"world-alzheimers-day-on-sunday-as-dementia-action-week-closes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.villages.com.au\/retirement\/world-alzheimers-day-on-sunday-as-dementia-action-week-closes\/","title":{"rendered":"World Alzheimer&#8217;s Day on Sunday as Dementia Action Week closes"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4764\" class=\"elementor elementor-4764\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-039c370 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"039c370\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a0f8eb9\" data-id=\"a0f8eb9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-630a3ed elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"630a3ed\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>D<strong>ementia accounted for the deaths of nearly 17,400 Australians in 2023, or 9.5% of all deaths, exceeding the number of deaths from coronary heart disease for the first time, according to new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.<\/strong><\/p><p>The degenerative condition mostly affects older people. This year, the theme of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementia.org.au\/get-involved\/dementia-action-week\">Dementia Action Week<\/a> (15-21 Sept) is \u201cnobody can do it alone\u201d.<\/p><p><strong>What is dementia?<\/strong><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au\/blog\/lifestyle\/why-dementia-is-now-core-business-for-retirement-village-operator-keyton\/\">Dementia<\/a> is not a single disease; it is an umbrella term used to describe a whole group of different neurological symptoms that can be caused by a number of conditions.<\/p><p>There are many types of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theweeklysource.com.au\/living-with-dementia\">dementia<\/a>, often involving memory loss, but it can also affect speech, cognition, emotional control, behaviour and the ability to move.<\/p><p>Alzheimer\u2019s disease, a degenerative brain disease caused by nerve cell death, is the most common form of dementia. It is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alz.org\/about\/awareness-initiatives\/world-alzheimers-day\">World Alzheimer&#8217;s Day<\/a> on Sunday.<\/p><p><strong>What causes dementia?<\/strong><\/p><p>While scientists don\u2019t know exactly why people get dementia, the latest research has found that it has something to do with damage to the nerve cells in the brain.<\/p><p>\u201cYour brain, like every other part of your body, is made up of billions of cells called neurons, and they\u2019re all connected to each other in networks,\u201d said neurologist and Alzheimer\u2019s disease expert Dr Emma Devenney.<\/p><p>The brain can be understood as a massive, interconnected network \u2013 a bit like a city\u2019s road system. Instead of cars, tiny specialised messengers (neurons) are constantly communicating with each other.<\/p><p>For every function we perform, like remembering a fact or speaking a word, there is a specific network of these neurons working together that stretches across our entire brain.<\/p><p>Researchers believe dementia starts when something disrupts this network.<\/p><p>\u201cThe million-dollar question is, what is the very first thing that happens?\u201d Dr Devenney said.<\/p><p>\u201cThere are lots of theories around. For some people, they have a genetic risk, so something about those nerve cells are more vulnerable.<\/p><p>\u201cFor other people, there may be a whole host of reasons \u2013 environmental, epigenetic, etc \u2013 but something happens, be that inflammation, be that some other process, that causes damage within these nerve cells.\u201d<\/p><p><strong>There is no cure for dementia but&#8230;.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c496830 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c496830\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-99a2481\" data-id=\"99a2481\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a0ccb80 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a0ccb80\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Picture7.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4767\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Picture7.png 601w, https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Picture7-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Picture7-585x390.png 585w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e13d6e6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e13d6e6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-88ee4b4\" data-id=\"88ee4b4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9c3987f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9c3987f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The risk of developing dementia can be significantly reduced by living a healthy lifestyle, getting plenty of regular exercise and eating a Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, oily fish and nuts. Avoiding alcohol, avoiding smoking and keeping a healthy weight is also important, as is keeping the brain active as you get older.<\/p><p>Other ways to reduce risk include treating hearing and vision problems and staying connected to friends and family.<\/p><p><strong>What can you do<\/strong><\/p><p>The best thing to help protect the older people in your life from dementia is to spend time with them. Social connection and happiness are both very important for good brain health and your ageing loved ones will benefit simply from being around you. And while you are with them, why not give them a few reminders?<\/p><p><strong>Encourage exercise<\/strong> \u2013 a healthy heart leads to a healthy brain, thanks to better circulation through the brain\u2019s blood vessels<\/p><p><strong>Play brain games<\/strong> \u2013 challenging yourself mentally is important, so play games like Chess and Scrabble with them and give them crosswords and puzzles to complete<\/p><p><strong>Check hearing<\/strong> \u2013 remind them that staying on top of hearing loss is important for brain health and they should get tested every two years after they turn 50<\/p><p><strong>Book a \u2018brain day\u2019<\/strong> \u2013 remind them to schedule a yearly brain health check with their GP. Get them to choose a date that is easy to remember like a birthday. Keeping on top of blood sugar levels and LDL cholesterol is also important to prevent against dementia<\/p><p><strong>Pay attention<\/strong> \u2013 there are some common signs like confusion, repeating the same stories, losing things more often and bathing and changing frequency, so if you think you have a grandparent or parent showing any of these symptoms, you could speak to a trusted family member about your concerns<\/p><p><strong>Please be patient and kind<\/strong> \u2013 dementia can be very frustrating for the whole family but just try and imagine how scary it must be for the person who has it. Being patient, listening and not disagreeing with or contradicting your loved one who is living with dementia can really help and comfort them.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dementia accounted for the deaths of nearly 17,400 Australians in 2023, or 9.5% of all deaths, exceeding the number of deaths from coronary heart disease for the first time, according to new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The degenerative condition mostly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-retirement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4764"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4770,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4764\/revisions\/4770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}