Senior Care Authority kicks off Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month with six science-backed habits that may help reduce dementia risk

An estimated 7.4 million Americans aged 65 and older are now living with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association's 2026 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, and that number is projected to climb to nearly 13 million by 2050. Yet the same report found that while 99% of adults say brain health is as important as physical health, only 9% say they know enough about how to maintain it.

We work alongside families throughout every stage of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, helping them navigate complex care decisions with confidence and peace of mind, What we hear most often is that people wish they had known sooner what they could do. Our job is to stay current on the research and translate it into guidance families can actually use. Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month is the right moment to put that guidance front and center."

Senior Care Authority monitors developments from leading institutions, including the Alzheimer's Association, the National Institutes of Health, and peer-reviewed publications such as The Lancet and Nature Medicine. That ongoing commitment to research, combined with the organization's day-to-day work supporting clients and families navigating Alzheimer's, informs the practical guidance Senior Care Authority advisors provide.

One of the most important findings in modern brain health research is that Alzheimer's disease is not an inevitable consequence of aging, nor is it primarily determined by genetics. The 2024 Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care concluded that roughly 45% of dementia cases are potentially preventable by addressing modifiable risk factors across the lifespan. Physical inactivity, poor cardiovascular health, untreated diabetes, social isolation, and poor sleep are among the factors the Commission identified as meaningful contributors to risk.