The Alzheimer’s Association is inviting all community residents to a live webinar – “A Talk with the Experts – How Diet and Nutrition Impacts Risk of Dementia”. The live online event will take place on Thursday, June 18 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
The panel of experts includes:
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Hugh Acheson, former Top Chef judge and owner and operator of several Georgia restaurants including Empire State South and Five and Ten
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Dr. Lisa M. Renzi-Hammond, Neuroscientist, Assistant Professor, Institute of Gerontology, University of Georgia, College of Public Health
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Renae Brown, Chief Dietitian, Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Aging Services
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Mary Caldwell, Helpline and Early Stage Program Manager, Alzheimer’s Association
“It is critical for me to learn more about the positive impact that good food has on people living with the immense burden of Alzheimer’s disease”, added Hugh Acheson. “As a chef, I know that nourishment can bring comfort and relief to those living through the anxiety of dementia. As a son of someone afflicted with Alzheimer’s I know food can make a difference.”
June marks Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, an opportunity to hold a conversation about the brain, and share the fact that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are a major public health issue. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, eating a heart-healthy diet benefits both your body and your brain.
“We are extremely excited to have this amazing group of experts that can provide our community residents valuable information that can reduce risk”, added Linda Davidson, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter. “This event is for everyone, if you are 18 or 90, healthy lifestyle interventions to benefit your health, including your brain, can start today”, she added.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, changes in the brain can occur years before the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s appear. These early brain changes suggest a possible “window of opportunity” to reduce risk or delay dementia symptoms.
The Alzheimer’s Association launched a two-year clinical trial researching lifestyle intervention on protecting brain health and potentially reducing the risk of dementia. The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) trial will test if combining physical activity, healthy nutrition, social and intellectual challenge and improved self-management of medical conditions can protect cognitive function in older adults who are at increased risk for cognitive decline.
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Georgia alone, there are more than 150,000 people living with the disease and 540,000 caregivers.
To register for the event, visit alz.org/Georgia or call 1-800-272-3900.
Facts and Figures: (http://www.alz.org/facts/)
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Alzheimer’s disease is the fifth-leading cause of death in Georgia.
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More than five million Americans are living with the disease, including 150,000 Georgia residents — a number estimated to grow to as many as 190,000 by year 2025.
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More than 16 million family and friends, including 540,000 in Georgia, provide unpaid care to people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias in the United States.
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In 2019, friends and family of those with Alzheimer’s in Georgia provided an estimated 615 million hours of unpaid care, a contribution valued more than $8 billion.