By Isabel Lopez, Public Affairs Intern
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of protecting brain health throughout the lifespan. While Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most recognized brain conditions affecting older adults, a complete picture of women’s brain health also includes understanding migraine and headache disorders, mental health conditions, stroke risk, sleep health, and cognitive changes associated with aging.
The brain may go through many changes as an individual gets older, but there are ways to protect and support brain health even as you age.
To help women better understand how Medicare can support their brain health over time, the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) and HealthyWomen have expanded the “Savvy and 65: A Woman’s Guide to Understanding Medicare” resource with a new Brain Health chapter. This new chapter builds on the guide’s existing Medicare 101, Heart Health, and Bone Health chapters, to help women understand the preventive services, screenings, and care available through Medicare.
The Brain Health chapter provides an overview of:
- Why brain health matters for women as they age
- Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, including warning signs and when to talk with a health care provider
- Medicare-covered services that support cognitive and mental health
- Healthy lifestyle habits that promote lifelong brain health
- Questions to ask your provider and additional support resources
It’s never too early to start caring for your brain – because protecting brain health can begin long before older adulthood. Women experience unique neurological and mental health challenges across their lifespans, including migraine and headache disorders, depression, anxiety, and menopause-related cognitive changes, coupled with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
Learn more about women’s brain health by exploring the full guide at medicareforwomen.org, along with additional brain health resources from SWHR, HealthyWomen, the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, and the National Institute on Aging.
Healthy aging starts with knowledge, and SWHR and HealthyWomen are proud to help women protect their brain health at every stage of life.