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www.alzheimers2013.com
Research into health and lifestyle factors that
affect the risk of developing dementia provides
evidence that preventative health strategies
could reduce the future incidence of dementia.
Research also demonstrates that the same
strategies may help slow cognitive decline
for people with mild cognitive impairment or
dementia.
Recent drug trials have been unsuccessful and
there is much interest in what other strategies
might help to prevent or slow cognitive decline
and dementia. The available evidence indeed
supports benefits of healthy, active lifestyles at
all stages of life. The evidence demonstrates
that people who are more mentally, socially
and physically active, who eat healthier diets,
and who maintain healthy weight, blood
pressure and cholesterol have better cognitive
function and a lower risk of developing
dementia. Conversely, smokers and those
with diabetes have an increased risk.
Alzheimer's Australia's Your Brain Matters
program is based on this evidence and aims to
raise awareness that cognitive decline is not
an inevitable part of ageing, that everyone can
do something to reduce their risk, and that a
life-course approach will reap the most benefit.
Brain pathology that causes dementia develops
from midlife and evidence is emerging that
modifiable health and lifestyle factors influence
this pathology. Evidence is also mounting
that an active, healthy lifestyle and effective
treatment of cardiovascular risk factors can
benefit people diagnosed with dementia,
helping to slow cognitive and functional
decline. Looking after the brain, body and
heart is essential to maintaining cognitive
health for all of us.
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seRVIce
gatEWay tO RuRal iNtERNatiONal
iNitiativEs iN dEmENtia (gRiid)
CONNECtiNg sERviCEs
iNtERNatiONally
Peter Birkett
1
, David Edvardsson
2
,
Andrea Dunlop
1
, Clare Cutler
3
,
Anthea Innes
3
, Debra Morgan
4
,
Marilyn Cash
3
, Amit Dias
5
1
Hesse Rural Health, Australia
2
LaTrobe University, Australia; Umea University,
Sweden
3
Bournemouth University, United Kingdom,
4
University of Saskatchewan, Canada
5
Goa Medical College, India
Rural life demands innovation. Without easy
access to other services or professionals,
rural people must find their own solutions
to problems they encounter. Around the
world, there are examples of innovative
dementia care service initiatives in rural areas.
However, these are often fragmented, neither
shared nor known, but have potential for
cross-contextual adoption, development and
evaluation if being disseminated beyond local
contexts. Worldwide engagement, however,
requires a worldwide platform. Whilst there
is a growing body of research focussing
on rural dementia care, there is a need for
instant access to evidence and best practice
so that practitioners, educators, service
commissioners, and academics can build on
others work in their specific country or regional
context.
This paper will outline the beginnings of a
web-based pathway to connect rural dementia
initiatives across the world and to provide
evidence for rural services across countries
to access and enable new and effective ideas
to be used and applied for better outcomes