By Delia Jervier, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter
June is national Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in the U.S., and Alzheimer’s disease does not discriminate. It steals from families of every background, every zip code, and every walk of life. And yet, when we look closely at who is most affected, a troubling picture emerges that our society has been slow to address. Across the United States, minority communities bear a disproportionate burden of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times more likely than white Americans to develop the disease. And it’s important to note that behind these statistics are faces and names. Mothers, fathers, grandparents and neighbors whose stories often go untold.
Why the disparity? The honest answer is that brain health does not exist in a vacuum. It is shaped by the conditions of our everyday lives: the food we have access to, the stress we carry, the quality of healthcare we receive, the neighborhoods we grow up in. When those conditions are unequal, health outcomes are unequal too. And these inequities are hastened when our communities lack necessary knowledge about our health. As Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter, I know there are families who brushed off early warning signs because they didn’t know what to look for. I know there are communities where the conversation about memory loss and cognitive decline simply isn’t happening because it feels too scary, too heavy or too hopeless to begin.
But here is what I also know: the science is clear that there are real, practical steps that all of us, regardless of background, can take to protect our brain health at any age. Regular physical activity, a balanced diet, quality sleep, managing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, staying mentally and socially engaged; these are not radical changes to our everyday lives. They are simple choices that add up over time, and they are available to all of us. That is why the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter has been working with the Illinois Department of Public Health to bring this message to communities across our state in an accessible, straightforward way. Awareness is the first step. When people understand that cognitive decline is not inevitable and that the small choices we make today genuinely matter for the health of our brains tomorrow, something shifts. Hope becomes possible. Alzheimer’s is a formidable disease. But silence and a lack of access to basic health knowledge make it worse. We can change that. If you want to take a first step toward protecting your own brain health, or the health of someone you love, I invite you to visit yourbrainwillthankyou.com. You will find simple, evidence-based tips that anyone can start using today. You’ll also find a practical Brain Health Habit Builder tool that will help you deploy these tips and take charge of your brain health.
The Your Brain Will Thank You campaign is part of the Illinois Brain Health Project and is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $730,000.00 with 28.85% funded by CDC/HHS and 71.15% funded by Illinois Department of Public Health. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
