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AARP Helps You Take Care of Your Brain Health

We've got tools to build healthy habits, a hearing test plus a new caregiving documentary


a dark tree with pink leaves on a blue background
Rob Dobi

AARP has long been a leader in helping older Americans build healthy habits to support healthy brains. From suggesting lifestyle changes to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline to tackling the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, here’s what AARP is doing for you. 

Staying Sharp. Through our online program Staying Sharp, you can build healthy habits for your brain, based on six pillars: eat right, be social, manage stress, engage your brain, exercise regularly and get good sleep. Research collaborations with Oregon Health & Science University and Massachusetts General Hospital are reporting exciting results about the impact of lifestyle behaviors among people using Staying Sharp. "Users who reported participation in specific healthy behaviors — like frequent cognitive stimulating activities, better sleep and regular exercise — show a lower likelihood of declines in cognitive performance," says Rachel Lazarus, who oversees Staying Sharp research. Much of Staying Sharp — including a monthly cognitive assessment — is available for free. AARP members get even more.

Eating right to reduce dementia risk. Older Black adults have higher than average dementia rates. AARP partnered with gospel singer and actress Tamela Mann and her husband David Mann on their YouTube cooking show "Mama Mann’s Kitchen," which has close to 600,000 subscribers. "My mother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease, which elevated the importance and need for us to take care of our brain health," says Tamela Mann, who wants to "educate the Black community ... to drive greater awareness on healthy foods to support our brain health." The episodes showcase Staying Sharp, where you can find easy-to-follow recipes that follow the Mediterranean diet.

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AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Read more about how we're fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.

Research partnership. AARP, the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington launched the Dementia Risk Reduction Project to identify how air pollution, depression, high blood pressure and other factors vary by state, and how these factors correlate with dementia risk. And AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health continues to develop and update reports on topics including the impact of physical activity, social engagement and more.

A new brain health caregiving documentary. Taking Care follows filmmaker Lauren Miller Rogen and actor Seth Rogen as they cared for Lauren’s mother, Adele, who had early onset Alzheimer’s disease. “AARP helped develop the documentary to inspire people to take care of their brain health and to support caregivers,” says Sarah Lock, AARP’s senior vice president for policy and brain health, and executive producer of the film. The film is streaming on FUSE+, Amazon, Apple TV+ and Google Play.

Hearing and your brain. Hearing loss is a big risk factor for dementia, as it reduces brain stimulation and can lead to social isolation. AARP makes it easy to evaluate your hearing via the National Hearing Test, a scientifically validated checkup developed with funding from the National Institutes of Health. This simple 10-minute test is free to AARP members and can be done at home on your phone or computer.

Learn more about the test and other resources at AARP's Brain Health Resource Center.

tamela and david mann
Tamela and David Mann shared Staying Sharp brain health messages and recipes on their YouTube cooking show, "Mama Mann's Kitchen."
Courtesy of Tamela and David Mann

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