CHARLOTTE, N.C. — According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 6.7 million Americans are living with disease. For people aged 65 and older, that number is projected to reach almost 13 million by the year 2050.
And right now, there is no cure. But a new Charlotte facility is empowering people to take charge of their brain health.
Three times a year, the Ivey in South Park holds brain health workshops where experts share the things you can do to build brain-healthy routines. The next one is coming up on Feb. 2.
Lynn Ivey's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at a time when she knew nothing about the disease herself. In the 16 years since founding the Ivey, she said the rate of brain-related disease in the country is on the rise.
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"All the others, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, those things are still here, but their rate of increase has declined," Ivey said.
Science shows Alzheimer's disease can start in the brain's groundwork 10 to 20 years before the first symptom even appears.
"The only opportunity right now is through a lifestyle change, understanding how the brain works," Ivey said.
Alicia Gagnon took the 12-week brain health workshop last fall after her parents dealt with memory loss. The 57-year-old learned maintaining a healthy brain means maintaining a healthy body as well. One area she’s focusing on is her nutrition.
"We always ate dinner, so we got dessert, that was your motivation," Gagnon said. "And I realized I needed to change some of my eating habits as well."
Another thing she does? Move her body.
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"I'll dance through two songs, and I'll run up and down the stairs, get my heart rate up, and I'll dance for some more songs," she added. "And before you know it, 30 minutes, it's wonderful."
In addition to mindfulness., movement and nourishment, Ivey schedules experts in the fields of behavioral sleep, lifelong learning and connection to speak.
She said together, these six brain health pillars build new pathways in the brain.
"Because inside the brain, neural pathways are being formed, new pathways are being formed, just like a detour on the road," she said. "If there's a problem in the road, you take a detour, and you still get to your destination."
This year, Ivey is adding hearing to the program. Ivey said a loss of hearing is related to cognitive decline.
You can learn more tips at a free info session on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The next workshop starts Feb. 2 and there is an online sign up..
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.