Adams County seniors urged to adopt habits that lower dementia risk

Families in Adams County should not brush off new confusion or memory loss as a harmless part of getting older. A June 19 column from the Adams County Senior Citizens Council and the Adams County Health Department, written during Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, says simple daily habits can help lower dementia risk and gives residents a local place to start.

Why this matters in Adams County

The warning comes with a sobering backdrop. The original county column says more than 55 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, and the Alzheimer’s Association now puts the worldwide dementia total at more than 57 million. That scale matters here because brain health is not only a national issue. It is a household issue for the people caring for aging parents, spouses and neighbors across the county.

Adams County’s age profile makes the message especially local. The county’s population was estimated at 27,671 on July 1, 2024, and about 19.6% of residents, roughly 5,400 people, were age 65 or older. That makes Adams County older than Ohio and the United States overall by that measure, which helps explain why a senior-centered public health column hits so close to home.

Ohio’s own numbers show why families should pay attention now. The Ohio Department of Health says 18.4% of Ohio adults age 45 and older reported increased confusion or memory loss in 2024. Its earlier dementia profile reported that 5,646 Ohioans died from organic dementia in 2018, at an age-adjusted rate of 36.3 per 100,000.

Warning signs families should not ignore

The clearest warning sign in the state data is increased confusion or memory loss, especially when it starts interfering with everyday life. That is the kind of change that should prompt a conversation with a healthcare provider rather than a wait-and-see approach. Families often notice these shifts first, which makes them the front line for getting help early.

The point is not to panic over an occasional misplaced key or a forgotten name. It is to pay attention when memory changes are persistent, are becoming more frequent, or are making it harder for an older adult to handle routine decisions. In a county with thousands of older adults and many family caregivers, those early conversations can matter.

Habits that can lower dementia risk

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says healthy lifestyle behaviors can lower dementia risk, and it lists lack of physical activity among known risk factors. The Alzheimer’s Association says positive, everyday actions can make a difference in brain health, even lowering the risk of cognitive decline and possibly Alzheimer’s and other dementias. That makes prevention less abstract and more like a daily checklist families can actually use.

Practical habits from the county guidance include:

• Challenge the mind by learning something new or doing something artistic.

• Stay physically active through walking, dancing, gardening, or any movement that raises the heart rate.

• Quit smoking, which can lower the risk of cognitive decline.

• Manage diabetes and keep blood pressure under control.

• Maintain a healthy weight and choose healthier foods.

• Stay in school or keep learning through local libraries or colleges.

• Protect the head with helmets and seat belts.

• Get good sleep and make it part of the routine, not an afterthought.

These are not one-time fixes. They are everyday choices that can be folded into walks around the neighborhood, time in the garden, classes at a nearby library or college, or simple changes in meals and bedtime routines. For families juggling work, caregiving and their own health, the value is in the repeatable habits.

What caregivers can do now

The burden on families is enormous. The Alzheimer’s Association says nearly 13 million Americans are unpaid caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, providing more than 19 billion hours of care valued at more than $446 billion in 2025. It also says the nation’s health and long-term care costs for people living with dementia are projected to reach $409 billion in 2026. At age 45, the lifetime risk is 1 in 5 for women and 1 in 10 for men.

That means caregivers cannot afford to treat brain health as a distant issue. Start by paying attention to memory changes, then bring concerns to a healthcare provider and ask about a cognitive screening if changes are noticeable. It also helps to work the prevention steps into the household rather than leaving them as individual goals: move together, eat better together, and protect sleep and blood pressure as part of the same daily routine.

For local help, the Adams County Senior Citizens Council, Inc. is based at 10835 State Route 41 in West Union, and the Adams County Health Department is led by Health Commissioner Jason Work, MPH, REHS. The council has already stayed active with senior programming this year, including Senior Citizens Day on May 14 at the Willow Event Center in Winchester and a Senior Walk ‘N’ Talk at Adams Lake State Park.

That kind of local outreach matters because brain health is not just a medical topic. It is a daily reality for older adults trying to stay independent and for relatives trying to keep loved ones safe, engaged and connected. In Adams County, the best time to make those changes is now.