Italy expands online training for dementia caregivers and advocates brain‑longevity prevention

An online education initiative called StareAccanto, created with the patronage of the Comune di Bogogno, offers short, multidisciplinary modules to support family members caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The program aims to fill the gap between diagnosis and daily care by providing practical guidance on communication, behavior management, legal safeguards and bureaucratic procedures.

Separate research highlighted that up to 45% of dementia cases could be prevented through a “brain longevity” approach promoted by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation in Tucson, Arizona. The method stresses a combination of healthy diet, stress management, regular physical and mental exercise, and spiritual wellbeing. Professor Andrea Ungar, former president of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, emphasized the importance of staying active, pursuing personal interests and maintaining a sense of purpose to protect cognitive health.