It’s “never too early, never too late” for senior living providers to help residents reduce their risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease, suggests the World Alzheimer Report 2023.
The theme of the annual report from Alzheimer’s Disease International comes from the Lancet Commission on dementia, prevention, intervention and care ’s findings from 2020 and includes case studies from around the world on ways Alzheimer’s and related dementia risk is being addressed globally.
Risk reduction
With a focus on risk reduction, the report aims to help people living with dementia — and those who care for them — to make changes in their lives and advocate the best possible environment for people to take their health into their own hands.
Among the modifiable risk factors for dementia identified by the commission, senior living providers can help residents address chronic illness, physical inactivity and social isolation.
The social aspects of senior living remain one of the industry’s main selling points, but a focus on clinical care and helping residents age in place longer is emerging and becoming a differentiator for some operators.
“There is no magic bullet for dementia,” the authors noted. But there are tangible steps that individuals and providers can take to reduce risk, including eating healthfully, exercising, practicing lifelong learning and forging social connections.
The report also pointed out that risk reduction does not end when someone receives a dementia diagnosis; implementing healthy lifestyle changes has been shown to slow disease progression.
Dementia risk in long-term care
One section of the report focuses on dementia risk in the LGBTQI+ community, and specifically in long-term care, where the authors noted that homophobia, transphobia and abuse from staff members and fellow residents can result in deadly consequences.
The lack of social recognition of the “chosen families” of LGBTQI+ residents, and the prioritization of biological relatives regardless of their relationship with a resident living with dementia, can further isolate LGBTQI+ people in need of care, the authors said.
“When someone loses autonomy, whether it’s cognitive or physical issues, the reflex is to only talk about ‘family’ — as if, past a certain age, your family is your only social network,” said Julien Rougeire, program manager for Foundation Emergence, an LGBTQI+ rights organization in Quebec. “Sometimes, those who are part of the chosen family aren’t acknowledged in these [long-term care and healthcare] environments. There’s always the threat that the traditional, biological family could put into question the role of the informal caregiver.”
The authors noted that several retirement communities catering to LGBTQI+ elders have emerged in North America and Europe, although most are costly and out of reach for many individuals.
