Dementia prevention and volunteering in focus this World Alzheimer's Day

Volunteering members of the retirement community are essential for helping the UK deal with the challenges of an ageing population, according to cognitive neuroscientist and ageing specialist Dr Lynda Shaw.

Dr Shaw is calling for everyone to do their part in the run up to World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September, hoping to see a strong volunteering drive as well as support and awareness for dementia prevention.

She comments: “With over a third of the UK population now aged over 50, prevention of Alzheimer’s is more important than ever. Getting into the habit of doing mind exercises, eating a balanced diet, hydration, regular exercise and maintaining healthy blood pressure are a great place to start. There are also less obvious preventative actions we can take including volunteering, which both enables older people to become more active in their community, fighting potential loneliness and boredom as well as keeping our brains active.

“Loneliness is a major risk factor for physical and mental well-being, exacerbating heart disease, diabetes, dementia and more. Even neural activity in the brain can be negatively affected by isolation. For instance, when we are socially isolated, research has shown that there is less activity in the temporalparietal junction, which is involved in understanding social situations. This means that the less we mix with others, the harder it becomes, but by getting out there and joining in we can improve activations in the brain.

“Once we are well passed our retirement age, involvement in regular activities with others can start to dwindle. Volunteering can be both rewarding and fun. When we laugh we put all of our problems in perspective offering a little respite, and we think more clearly. Our levels of dopamine and serotonin naturally increase while volunteering, and cortisol is suppressed, meaning we feel happy and energised. Getting involved in community activities such as volunteering is also an excellent way to meet new people. Thinking outside yourself and more about others also helps to keep you healthy.”

With early diagnosis essential in the treatment of dementia, Dr Shaw advises individuals with concerns regarding memory loss to overcome their anxiety and visit a memory clinic as soon as possible for a specialist assessment.

Some possible indicators include: feeling angry and depressed about memory, feeling confused, forgetting recent events, having difficulty with friends’ names, having difficulty holding or following conversations, or struggling with problem solving and reasoning.