{"id":240,"date":"2026-05-29T05:01:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T05:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fortworthmovingnews.com\/?p=240"},"modified":"2026-05-29T05:01:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T05:01:21","slug":"james-l-west-brain-health-in-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fortworthmovingnews.com\/?p=240","title":{"rendered":"James L. West: Brain Health in Action"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An enthusiastic audience discovered simple strategies and exercises to improve the health and vitality of their brains on Tuesday, May 19, at River Crest Country Club.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jaime Cobb Tinsley, Vice President of Family & Professional and Education, and Hollie Lowe, Director of Education and Family Support at the James L. West Center for Dementia Care, shared practical insights to keep brains and bodies healthy. As Tinsley shared, \u201cBrain health is something we should all take seriously. Simple habits like eating foods that support heart and brain health, continuing to learn new things, making quality sleep a priority, and staying socially connected can make a real difference over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She added that the goal for the event was to help people better understand brain health and ways to reduce their risk for dementia while also giving them the chance to experience fun activities that challenged their thinking and engaged different parts of the brain. One of the early signs impacting seniors is hearing loss, because with its gradual decline, many people do not recognize their hearing challenges. Its estimated that one in seven Americans experience hearing loss, and many may not have noticed it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hearing loss becomes more than an ear issue; it is a brain health issue that can serve as an early warning sign because sound may start in the ear, but it lives in the brain. When hearing begins to decline, the brain starts to receive less stimulation, which results in structural brain changes.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dr. Robin Carson, Doctor of Audiology at Carson Hearing Center, who spoke at the event, shared that \u201cUntreated hearing loss can more than triple a person\u2019s dementia risk. \u201cA 2020 research project identified hearing loss as the single largest modifiable risk factor for dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the study, Johns Hopkins tracked nearly 640 adults over 12 years and discovered that people with mild hearing loss had double the risk of developing dementia. Meanwhile, moderate loss tripled that risk, and severe loss increased the risk fivefold.<\/p>\n

Identified risk factors include heavy alcohol use, smoking, higher or low untreated blood pressure, head injury, depression, chronic stress, obesity, and diabetes.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat can we do to stay autonomous, independent, live life to the fullest, and engage in life?,\u201d Tinsley asked the audience.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She joined Hollie Lowe in sharing that the most effective ways to \u201cage healthy\u201d and reduce risk of dementia are:<\/p>\n

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  1. Exercise<\/li>\n
  2. Quality sleep<\/li>\n
  3. Manage stress<\/li>\n
  4. Stay socially connected<\/li>\n
  5. Brain fitness<\/li>\n
  6. Diet<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n