Appalachian Memory & Aging Initiative

09/04/2026

✨For the next several weeks, our clinicians Andrea Sartori, PhD and Kelley Kinder, MA, LPC, will be on the road in Lee County providing FREE Brain Health Screenings!

This is an opportunity for anyone who wants to be proactive about their brain health or for those who have been noticing changes in memory and thinking and would like to take steps toward understanding the cause and accessing treatment options.

We also deliver Brain Health talks and can provide access to resources for anyone navigating a dementia diagnosis. Our mobile services are grant funded and free of charge to recipients!

Contact us today to schedule your Brain Health checkup! 🧠💜

📞 276-289-3020
🖥️ www.appalachianmemoryandaging.org
👉 https://www.eventcreate.com/e/agewell

08/24/2026

✨You are invited to join the conversation! 🧠💜

08/22/2026

Speak Up! Help Virginia Age Better!

The Virginia Center on Aging (VCoA) is conducting a statewide needs assessment to inform the development of the next Virginia State Plan for Aging Services. We want to hear from: Adults age 60+, caregivers, advocates and service providers who are residents of Virginia. Individuals age 18 and older who live in Virginia are eligible to complete the survey.

Your responses to this survey are completely anonymous. The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes and is best completed all at one time. Except for a few eligibility questions, all questions are optional.

Find the survey at: https://tinyurl.com/Aging-Survey. The survey will be open until September 25, 2026.

Learn more about DARS and the State Plan by visiting https://bit.ly/4bSlC9W.
You can learn more about VCoA by visiting https://vcoa.chp.vcu.edu/.

For questions or concerns about the survey, please contact Charlotte Arbogast by phone at 804-662-7093 or by email at [email protected].

08/21/2026

08/19/2026

The Appalachian Memory & Aging Initiative is Growing! 💜

We’re officially ONE year old—and as we look toward the future, we’re excited to expand our Board of Directors!

We are looking for passionate community leaders who are:

✨ Interested in Making a Difference
✨ Invested in Helping Rural Communities
✨ Intrigued by Aging-Related Issues &
✨ Innovative at Heart

If you would love to be part of a grass-roots nonprofit organization that is expanding access to brain health education, early detection, and dementia care throughout rural Appalachia, starting in Southwest Virginia, we’d love to hear from you!

Please email a letter of interest and resume/CV to:
[email protected] 🧠

08/13/2026

✨ Please join us and the Washington County Virginia Chamber of Commerce on September 3rd at Noon to celebrate the opening of our new office location in the heart of downtown Abingdon! 🧠

Visit Abingdon VA

08/12/2026

✨ If you are in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, now is a critical time to think about your brain health! 🧠

So, let’s talk about things that can be done in mid-life to lower dementia risk.

Recent research from Harvard Health shows that managing your heart and vascular health during midlife can give you nearly 13 more dementia-free years! Your brain relies heavily on a healthy circulatory system, meaning what is good for your heart is also good for your brain!

In fact, research from The Lancet Commission also has shown that around 45% of dementia cases can possibly be prevented when key modifiable risk factors are addressed throughout the lifespan.

Here are the most impactful factors you can focus on right now:

🩺 The "Big Three" Vascular Factors
* Control Blood Pressure: Keeping hypertension in check prevents damage to the brain's tiny blood vessels.
* Manage Blood Sugar: Preventing or managing type 2 diabetes cuts down on brain-damaging systemic inflammation.
* Be Smoke-Free: Quitting or avoiding smoking preserves arterial health and keeps oxygen flowing to your brain cells.

🏃‍♂️ Lifestyle Habits that Strengthen Your Brain
* Stay Active: Regular physical activity boosts overall brain function and supports your metabolism.
* Eat Nutritious Foods: Diets high in antioxidants and healthy fats, like the MIND diet, actively protect your brain.
* Prioritize Mental & Social Well-being: Treating midlife depression and staying socially active builds massive cognitive resilience.

Dementia is scary, but there are many things that can be done to lower risk and prolong years of healthy brain functioning!

08/08/2026

In a recent interview with Franklin Schneider, a writer for Shelterforce, our founder had an opportunity to discuss the many challenges of aging in rural communities, highlighting problems we face in central Appalachia such as minimal access to specialty care for individuals experiencing cognitive decline and the link to housing instability.

Having AMAI’s voice heard on a national platform is a great honor and our desire is to continue increasing awareness to help bring about true change for older adults in the region we call home.

📖🎧 Read or listen to the full report here:

https://shelterforce.org/2026/08/04/the-wobbly-infrastructure-behind-aging-in-rural-communities/

Shelterforce

Aging safely in rural communities depends on a fragile interconnected network of housing, healthcare, transportation, and local support.