Woman’s Brain Health Initiative Wants Us to Rethink About Aging
The Toronto-based organization aims to keep women healthy, body and mind.
All together now: one, two, three. That’s the amount of time it will take for someone, somewhere in the world, to become newly afflicted with dementia—about one every three seconds, about 10 million every year. Almost two-thirds of those will be women.
All told, a pretty good rationale for why we need the Woman’s Brain Health Initiative. As the Toronto-based organization points out, the gender-related causes of the ailments that interfere with cognition have too often been overlooked, taken for granted, or outright ignored. But with fully one million Canadian women projected to be living with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative mental disorders within 25 years, it’s high time we put our minds to it.
In the 13 years since it was founded, the WBHI has been working toward nothing less than a complete reconsideration in how we think about the way women think as they age. First among their efforts is direct research: over the years, the organization has channelled more than $3 million of funding toward Canadian scientists and medical researchers exploring the connection between gender and neuroscience, supporting a number of studies, white papers, and research projects.
Education and awareness are another major focus. The organization has created a variety of programs, materials, and apps, including Mind Over Matter magazine and video/podcast series, an app for habit tracking called BrainFit, and the Brainable program that teaches middle-grade students to make lifestyle choices that are fundamental to lifelong brain health. There is also an online community hub, The Care Collective, dedicated to supporting family members and caregivers who support those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive decline.
Perhaps the most significant work, however, is elevation: the ability to keep a complex topic top of mind among government, philanthropists, and the public at large. The organization’s inaugural Women’s Brain Health Summit in Toronto this December will be an example, inviting celebrities, scientists, and researchers to come together to explore topics such as dementia, caregiving, and menopause, and share their insights and stories of mental resilience.
For generations, cognitive decline has been seen as a regrettable yet inevitable part of our lives. But with the global economic cost of caring for dementia patients currently estimated at an astounding $1.5 trillion, it’s time our thinking changed. By helping us see mental fitness as a rewarding and achievable part of our lives, initiatives such as the ones from WBHI may be doing more than improving brain health—they may just end up changing the way we think about aging itself.
