Washington State just released its first Alzheimer's State Plan. I was fortunate to be able to help this amazing group of experts, including people with Alzheimers and family caregivers, develop their plan over the past year or so. We also published the results from both a public survey and a primary care survey seeking advice about how to best address Alzheimer's and dementia in the coming years.
Special thanks to the thousands of people across the state who participated in this project, either through answering a survey, attending a listening session around the state, or particpating in the expert panel or one of the subcommittees focusing on specific areas within the Plan.
Age is the number one risk factor for developing dementia. Most people fear a diagnosis of dementia more than any other medical issue. While Alzheimer's and other dementias are not preventable, healthy choices may help delay or manage the disease. Eat healthy, manage your weight, stop smoking, exercise regularly, engage socially, and exercise your brain. All of these steps are so beneficial for a healthy life.