23/09/2025
Supporting brain health during World Alzheimer’s Month
World Alzheimer’s Month is a time to increase awareness and reduce stigma around dementia. This September, during World Alzheimer’s Month, the global campaign theme Ask about Alzheimer’s invites us to start more conversations, reduce stigma, and empower families. Hearing care is an important part of that effort. Dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Despite growing knowledge, misconceptions persist. Two-thirds of health professionals still believe dementia is simply a normal part of aging. Almost 80% of the general public are concerned about developing dementia and 1 in 4 people think that there is nothing we can do to prevent dementia.
Families may even hide a diagnosis out of shame or fear of judgment. This silence means that many people living with dementia may never disclose it.
Yet dementia is not inevitable. Research tells us that up to 45% of cases could potentially be delayed or prevented if we addressed modifiable risk factors, including managing hearing loss.
Pay attention to:
• Caregivers/family answering in place of the client/loved one.
• struggling with instructions beyond hearing issues.
• confusion, withdrawal, frustration, or changes in mood/personality.
Why hearing care supports brain health
From a psychological perspective, one of the most important protectors of brain function is social engagement. It stimulates memory, emotion, and reasoning while reducing loneliness, one of the greatest threats to healthy aging.
Untreated hearing loss can reduce this engagement. People withdraw from conversations they cannot follow. They stop attending community events and group activities. In turn, their risk of cognitive decline increases.
Hearing care professionals are often among the first to notice subtle changes, the first to raise awareness, and the first to help maintain social connections that keep minds active.
Look after your hearing health, have a hearing test and find out if you require hearing aid technology. The ears and the brain as equal partners: while the ears pick up the acoustic signals, the brain gives meaning to the puzzle pieces.
Communication modification
Support families with small, practical adjustments:
• Face the person and reduce background noise.
• Use short, clear sentences.
• Confirm understanding, not just repetition.
• Encourage participation in group activities, even if conversations are more difficult.
Support caregivers
More than half of dementia caregivers report that their own health has suffered. Many may feel isolated. Listening to their concerns and pointing them toward support resources can make a difference.
Staying hopeful
Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. This statistic is sobering, but it is not the complete picture. Evidence shows that brain health can be supported, and cognitive decline can be slowed in people at increased risk through hearing intervention as well as lifestyle interventions.
References:
1. Alzheimer’s Disease International. (2025). World Alzheimer’s Month. Retrieved from https://www.alzint.org/get-involved/world-alzheimers-month/
