Cognitive Decline Prevention
Up to 45% of dementia risk is within your control.
The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia found that nearly half of dementia cases worldwide may be preventable or delayed by addressing modifiable risk factors, such as hearing health, physical activity, social connection, and more.
Now is exactly the right time to start, not by overhauling your life overnight, but by learning to play the long game.
Looking for advice that actually makes an impact?
We’ll start with the evidence, then personalize recommendations to you so they fit your actual life. Here’s what to expect.
Which risk factors matter, how much they matter, and what the evidence does and doesn’t support, so you can stop guessing and start focusing on what’s worth your time.
What the research actually says
Most people don’t need a dozen new habits. You likely already have moves in your life that protect your brain; you just don’t know it yet. We’ll find them and figure out which few changes matter most for you.
What you are already doing right
Winning isn’t doing everything “right” and missing out on your life along the way. It’s finding the moves that protect your brain, using strategies that work with your brain, and making your life richer right now.
How to play the Long Game
Created for people who want to protect their cognitive health, no matter their age
You're an adult who wants to be proactive about your brain health, so your mind can feel sharp longer.
You know the basics and want to learn more without falling victim to trends that won’t work.
You feel overwhelmed with managing your preventative cognitive health. It feels like a part-time job.
You're ready to make changes, not just collect more information.
Upcoming Events
First Move: Intro to Preventing Cognitive Decline
We’ll cover the factors you can control that research supports for preventing or delaying dementia, even if it runs in your family or you think you are too old or too young to think about prevention. You’ll leave with one real move to make this week. Make your First Move for free with no-obligation sessions hosted online and in person at locations across the Front Range in Colorado.
Cost: Free
Locations: Across Colorado’s Front Range and online.
Long Game: Preventing Cognitive Decline Workshop
If you are ready to go deeper, join a small group over 4 sessions, where we figure out the moves that fit your actual life and the strategies that work best with your brain. Winning this game means protecting your brain and not missing out on your life to do it. We’re looking for small, sustainable changes, played out over a lifetime instead of crammed into a few weeks. Small group sessions are hosted online.
Location: Online
I’m Rachel, a speech-language pathologist. I’m driven to help you prevent cognitive decline because of my experience working with people who have cognitive decline.
Dementia is feared more than most diseases. I’ve seen the impact dementia and cognitive decline make on many families, including my own. I want to help you prevent this feared and frustrating disease. My approach goes beyond a checklist of recommendations and uses my knowledge of how our brains make decisions and habits to give you the strategies to make changes. All while living the life you want to live today.
Frequently asked questions about First Move and The Long Game
Still have questions? Send me a message.
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No. This is not a clinical or diagnostic service. This is purely educational. As a speech-language pathologist, I’ve noticed that there’s a gap. Educational information is often shared with people after they have experienced some cognitive decline or an injury, disease, or stroke. I designed The First Move and The Long Game to be helpful even before something happens, so you can prevent or delay the onset of problems.
If you’ve already noticed cognitive decline, this education would still be helpful; however, individual speech therapy could be more helpful depending on your condition. Individual speech therapy allows us to focus on your specific abilities and risk factors, so we can make changes that preserve your cognitive-communication abilities or reverse cognitive decline. Please reach out. I’m happy to point you in the right direction.
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First Move is a single class that is offered both online and in person at various locations across Colorado’s Front Range. The Long Game is a series of classes and is held online only, so it will easily fit into your busy schedule. You can check the registration page to see upcoming classes and locations.
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Aging is the strongest risk factor for dementia; however, dementia isn’t inevitable. You could live to be 100 years old and still be cognitively sharp. Dementia is not part of normal aging. In many cases, cognitive decline can be prevented or delayed through factors you have control over. In fact, mild cognitive impairment can even be reversed in many cases.
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No. Anyone interested in protecting their brain health long-term is welcome, whether or not dementia runs in your family. According to 2024 Lancet Dementia Commission, 45% of all dementia cases are attributed to factors we can control, which is greater than the number of dementia cases attributed to family genetics. Your family history may have less of an impact than you expected.
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Most people already know the basics. Move more, sleep better, eat well. What’s usually missing isn’t information, it’s finding ways to make that information part of your life. That’s what The Long Game is built around. We can use how our brains work to build a life that protects our brain and is a life we enjoy living.
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I’d love to learn more! Reach out to set up a phone call to discuss your group and what you are looking for.
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