The Denver Chapter of National Association of Hispanic Nurses have partnered with CDPHE’s Alzheimer’s Dementia and Related Dementia Task Force. We recently attended the CO Health Occupations Student Association conference, held at the Denver Sheraton where we met numerous youths wanting to know more about how to prevent dementia. Some shared personal stories about their grandparents and friends who have dementia and some expressed fear about having dementia in their older years. It was encouraging to see the diversity within these young people who are considering health care careers.  

We often don’t think about addressing dementia when working with our younger generations, but our interactions suggest this is a topic of interest to them. Following are some steps to share with youth when discussing their continued wellness.

We would like to share 10 ways to reduce risk for dementia:

• Be active, control your weight
• Prevent/manage diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol
• Protect your head/ prevent TBI
• Quit tobacco, limit alcohol use
• Reduce exposure to air pollution
• Protect your hearing/wear hearing aids if needed
• Check your vision/treat vision loss
• Address depression/seek care
• Socialize with friends/family/community
• Engage in Lifelong learning