The Global Council on Brain Health has released an infographic, COVID: Protect Your Brain, Too, for steps caregivers can take to protect brain health for themselves and people living with dementia.
The information is based on a new report on Brain Health, COVID-19 and Brain Health that reviews evidence and recommends steps to safeguard brain health in adults ages 50 and older, especially during the pandemic.
According to the report, people living with dementia are twice as likely to get COVID-19, and their caregivers are experiencing additional stress amid the pandemic.
Because many caregivers are also older than 50, recommendations for brain health are important for both elders with dementia and their caregivers.
Steps for protecting brain health from COVID:
- Get the vaccine as soon as possible
- Contact your doctor for new signs of confusion, ‘brain fog,’ or changes in behavior
- Keep your mind active by reading, listening to music, doing crafts or puzzles
- Talk with family and friends by phone or video regularly
- Don’t put off medical visits including regular check-ups
- Eat healthy and exercise every day
- Get 7-8 hours of good sleep every night
- Take care of your mental health by doing things to help relax; spend time outdoors and ask for help if you’re sad or having trouble with stress
COVID-19 and Brain Health: The Global Council on Brain Health’s
Recommendations on What to Do Now
GlobalCouncilonBrainHealth.org • Contact: GCBH@aarp.org
For more brain health tips see StayingSharp.org
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26419/pia.00104.002
