Ask Miriam – July 2026
Dear Miriam,
My father has Alzheimer’s disease, and before that, both his mother and his father had dementia, although I am uncertain what their exact diagnosis was. They died a long time ago. My mother died when I was young, so my dad was really the one who raised me. I’m also an only child. My dad made arrangements so that when he turned 80 years old, he moved into assisted living, which also has memory care. He did great for about 5 years, and then he started having more and more issues with his memory and not being able to keep himself safe or cope with hygiene and medications. The staff recommended he move to memory care, which is where he has been for the last year. I know the reason he set everything up like this is so that I wouldn’t ever have to worry about him, or worry about taking care of him, and I love and appreciate him so much. But I am scared that the same thing is going to happen to me, and that I will end up with Alzheimer’s, too —– after all, it seems like it does run in the family. What can I do to prevent it?
—Fearful Son
Dear Fearful,
I recognize how scary it is to have only one parent and to see him slowly slipping away from you and to fear that you, too, will end up like your father and grandparents. You’ve dealt with a lot of loss in your life, but your dad must love you very much to be so thoughtful and intentional about how he lives-out his last years.
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, it has been found that the choices we make as individuals do have an impact on our risk factors for developing dementia. Here are the areas to focus on to help keep your brain healthy:
- Stay connected—Friends, family, support groups, and even the people you meet during your daily coffee run are all part of maintaining social connections.
- Stay active—Exercising, moving your body, and even just walking is important and allows you to stay strong physically and mentally.
- Keep learning—Trying new activities, doing puzzles, word games, or learning new skills can also help your brain keep busy and maintain sharpness.
- Manage stress—Stress can decrease your brain’s ability to function properly; looking at what causes stress and ways to alleviate that can help.
- Eat healthy—Diet has an impact on the brain, and foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish are brain-healthy as well as heart-healthy.
- Sleep well—Sleep is crucial to help your brain recharge; a routine for going to sleep and getting up at consistent times will help you to get a better quality of sleep.
- Stay healthy—Don’t forget to visit your doctor and dentist regularly, and keep up with the recommended treatments for any issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
Following these steps will go a long way toward keeping your brain in top condition. For more information about healthy brain habits and their benefits, call the Alzheimer’s Los Angeles Helpline at 844-435-7259.
Best,
Miriam
Questions for Miriam can be sent to askmiriam@alzla.org.
