Brain health, led by rural communities

15,781 kilometres. 22 towns... and a lot of conversations about brain health!

Over the past two years, Professor Ashleigh Smith and her team have travelled across South Australia and Western Australia as part of the Re-ACTIVate project, working with rural communities to better understand dementia risk and co-design approaches to prevention that work for them.

Ashleigh’s Dementia Australia Research Foundation mid-career research fellowship wrapped up this year, but its impact is continuing in some of the communities involved.

In Loxton North, the local football club held a dedicated Brain Health Round, complete with special Dementia Australia-branded uniforms and a community auction supporting the organisation. Fellow Foundation grant recipient Dr Maddison Mellow spoke at the auction which was attended by 138 local community members.

In Port Lincoln, Ashleigh, Maddison and their PhD student Britt Burton, have been working with the community to co-produce a brain health toolkit for rural dementia risk reduction and subsequently a wellbeing hub, supporting people with brain health.

Collaborations in Western Australia with Dr Kelsey Sewell are helping to build on what the team has learned about dementia risk reduction in rural communities. This work is being translated into a fully personalised brain health intervention for rural older adults at greatest risk of dementia.

“What has been most rewarding is watching communities take ownership of brain health and dementia risk reduction,” says Ashleigh.

It's a brilliant example of what can happen when research is shaped with communities rather than simply delivered to them.

Congratulations on such fantastic work, Ashleigh, and thank you for everything you do.

Read more about her fellowship here.