Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Launches Innovative Brain Health Activities Program

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 2, 2024) – The University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging has introduced a groundbreaking initiative, Brain Health Activities, aimed at supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers. The program was developed with extensive collaboration across the UK campus, offering a variety of resources designed to enhance brain health and quality of life for those affected by dementia and their caregivers. 

The idea for the Brain Health Activities program came from a recognized need for more accessible activities for people with dementia, especially in rural communities.

“The goal of the program is to create a resource that can spread beyond Lexington to areas where such offerings are limited,” said April Stauffer, program coordinator for Sanders-Brown. “We aim to extend this throughout Kentucky, the United States, and even globally.” 

The impetus for this initiative can be traced back to a personal experience by neurologist Greg Jicha, M.D., Ph.D., more than two decades ago.

“We were working with the family of a patient who were struggling with what to do with their loved one who was in the early stages of dementia,” said Jicha. “They didn't want to do anything. They just wanted to sit in front of the TV and watch reruns of ‛Gunsmoke.’ I talked with them about day programs and seeing what was available in their rural community. They basically got back in touch with me and said there was not anything in their area. What do we do? And then it really dawned on me that our population is one that we have a lot of rural areas and we have a lot of underserved areas.” 

This realization was the catalyst for the creation of telemedicine clinics and educational programs in 2005. However, even with those programs, Jicha knew a need still existed as far as meeting direct needs of patients and their families so they developed an idea of video programming that could be accessed anywhere.

“A few months after we put together the grant and got the philanthropic support, COVID hit,” he said. “All the day cares and programs statewide, nationwide, closed down and shut their doors. That really drove the importance of this, not just for folks living in rural areas, but really changed our thinking to think about, well, you know, a lot of those day programs are costly, and some folks can’t afford them, and other hurdles can exist with actually accessing the programs.”

The web-based program is designed to be a valuable resource for both caregivers and those diagnosed with dementia.

“This project not only provides support but also ties back to research showing the importance of keeping the brain active,” said Sanders-Brown social worker Sarah Hatch. “We offer various activities and caregiver tips that help maintain engagement and improve quality of life.” 

“Activities for a person with dementia often need to be adapted,” Stauffer said. “They can still do many things they’ve always done, but perhaps with safer methods or simpler steps.” 

The Brain Health Activities program offerings are deeply rooted in scientific research. The program features 24 episodes that showcase activities ranging from cooking and exercise to arts and crafts. These episodes include modifications to help caregivers adapt activities for their loved ones.

“We've tried to provide modifications in our episode guides so caregivers can easily find ways to adjust activities to suit their loved one’s abilities,” said Hatch. 

The wide range of expertise throughout various UK colleges and departments allowed the team at Sanders-Brown to put together a very robust program. Experts from the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Food Connection Program, Cooperative Extension, UK HealthCare Integrative Medicine, and more contributed to the programming. This ensures a well-rounded approach to brain health.

“We've used experts from different fields to cover nutrition, gardening, hand massage, Tai Chi and more. These collaborations underline how diverse aspects of health can impact brain health positively,” said Stauffer. 

While the website just recently launched, initial feedback has been positive. “We've seen interest and intrigue from early-stage support groups,” said Hatch. “People appreciate that there's something specifically designed for them.” 

The need for virtual access, which became more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, made it a good time to make this nacent idea a reality.

“COVID-19 made people more familiar with technology, and this project can now reach more communities than before,” said Hatch. 

Jicha further emphasized the importance of proactive engagement for dementia patients.

“We should be providing patients who are worried about their own memory and thinking and brain health and their caregivers ways to engage that are powerful in helping to stabilize disease and preserve function,” he said. 

The Brain Health Activities program offers two tracks: Brain Boost for those with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia, and Brain Health 101 for those with moderate dementia. This ensures that the resources cater to different stages of the disease. 

“We’ve tried to make our resources as accessible as possible, with full episodes, short activity segments, and standalone caregiver tips,” said Hatch.

The Sanders-Brown team is thankful that the high-quality programming was made possible through funding from an anonymous charitable trust. The work represents a significant step forward in supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers. By leveraging the extensive expertise within the UK community and focusing on research-backed activities, the hope is to improve brain health and quality of life for many. The initiative underscores the importance of continued engagement and provides practical tools to help caregivers and their loved ones navigate the challenges of dementia.