HOW WE’RE FIGHTING FOR YOU
AARP TAKES ON BRAIN HEALTH
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. Much of Staying Sharp—including a monthly cognitive assessment—is available free at aarp.org; AARP members get more.
→ 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.
→ 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.
Learn more about the test and AARP’s resources at aarp.org/brainhealth. —Cori Vanchieri, AARP executive editor for brain health
AARP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lloyd E. Johnson (Board Chair), Margot James Copeland (First Vice Chair), Robert Blancato (Second Vice Chair), Joseph F. Coughlin, Jeffrey D. Dunn, Beth Ellard, Rosanna A. Márquez, Myechia Minter-Jordan, Marie Quintero-Johnson, Libby Sartain, David Windley