Brain Health/Dementia Risk Reduction
A crucial part of the overall approach to dementia in Ireland is trying to prevent or delay the onset of dementia in a person, by tackling modifiable risk factors for dementia. Please refer to the Key Messages factsheet below for healthcare professionals, developed by a national expert group, based on the WHO guideline from 2019.
Think Brain Health: "Discover how healthy behaviours support your incredible brain”.
This webinar was hosted by HSE Healthy Ireland and the National Dementia Services.
Sarah Mc Cormack, HSE Healthy Ireland Lead, Health & Wellbeing was joined by Dr Sean O’Dowd, Consultant Neurologist, Tallaght University Hospital; and Clinical Lead, National Dementia Services, and expert panellists to discuss our brain and the healthy behaviours we can adopt to look after it. Topics covered included physical activity, healthy eating, sleep, social connectivity, avoiding harmful use of alcohol and not smoking.
Panellists:
- Cathy McHale, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Institute of Memory & Cognition, Tallaght University Hospital
- Professor Brian Lawlor, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry and Site Director of Global Brian Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin
- Catherine Blake, Dean and Head of the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin
You can watch it back on YouTube here
Brain Health Slides
To support the conversation around Brain Health, a slide deck highlights the things we can do to maintain our brain health, reduce our risk of developing dementia, and look after our health and wellbeing. The slides can be downloaded and used for public information or outreach sessions, and training for healthcare colleagues.
Please also refer to the Lancet Commission report (2020) for a summary of the most up-to-date evidence.
It is crucial that we consider modifiable risk factors whenever we are assessing a person with memory complaints or possible dementia.