New Years Resolutions - Opportunities for 2022

My name is Doctor Katharine Salmon and I am a Hobart based specialist General Practitioner. I am fortunate to work with the ISLAND team and specifically with the ISLAND Clinic, our diagnostic cognitive assessment clinic. 

It is always an exciting time entering a new year and although 2022 looks like it will offer some challenges, it also gives us opportunities to make changes that will benefit both ourselves and those around us. Many of us fall into the well-trodden path of multiple New Year’s resolutions that rapidly fall by the wayside, only to be dusted off and re-presented for the following year. 

This year I am hoping to be more realistic with what I can achieve and focus on a few manageable changes rather than broad sweeping goals. Hopefully, incrementally, year by year these changes will continue to work towards a healthier me and will have benefits not only for me but also for those around me.  

The importance of self-care, particularly in mid-life, is well recognised as a major step towards prevention of dementia. If we can modify some of the known risk factors, then we have an opportunity to delay or prevent 40% of dementias globally.   

Some of the things that are recommended for your overall health as well as dementia prevention strategies include: -  

- Eat a healthy diet – aiming for a Mediterranean diet and a healthy weight range. 

- Exercise - increasing and maintaining physical activity, both cardiovascular and strengthening.

- Alcohol - reducing or ceasing alcohol intake. 

- Smoking - stopping smoking.  

- Socialisation - encourage socialisation at all levels 

- Treat known risk factors such as high blood pressure, depression, hearing loss and diabetes. 

- Education - encourage education at all stages of life, engage in a broad range of cognitively stimulating activities and continue to explore new interests. 

We all have areas in our lives that we would like to focus on improving, and it is important to ensure that the goals that we set for ourselves are both obtainable and sustainable. I hope that the changes that I commit to make in 2022 do not reappear on my list in 2023 and that year by year I continue to work towards being as healthy as I can be. 

On behalf of all my colleagues at the ISLAND Project, I wish everyone a healthy, fulfilling and hopefully resolution attaining 2022. 

Would you like to be a volunteer for the ISLAND Project?

We're looking to reach more and more people and Tasmanian communities during 2022 and we'd love to have your help. There will be various roles for volunteers and we're looking to compile a register of people who are interested so we can contact you when we are running events in your area. Volunteer roles might include helping us at information sessions - or running them yourself - helping us gather feedback about events we offer and helping other participants to complete their online surveys and other online ISLAND activities. 

If you would like to express an interest in being a volunteer for ISLAND please complete this online form. If you have any questions about volunteering please email us at island@dementia.utas.edu.au. As a volunteer, you will not be covered by workers compensation insurance but will be covered by the University public liability insurances. 

Thank you for considering this request - we do appreciate everything you do for ISLAND. 

Click here to volunteer

Not yet a member of ISLAND?

If you haven't signed up to our research program, it's easy and takes just a few minutes. 

Our website, ISLAND Home, is where you will find access to our research surveys and activities.  By becoming an ISLAND member you will be kept updated with information and opportunities to help you reduce your risk of developing dementia and to be part of our combined efforts to reduce the incidence of dementia in Tasmania.

Go to our website and sign up, or if you have enrolled in any of our MOOC's, go to the log in link and sign in with your existing credentials.

Support for Diabetes

Do you have diabetes and would like help to manage it? Have you been told you are at risk of diabetes and would like to prevent it? If so, Diabetes Tasmania has a range of health professionals, programs, events, resources and support to help you. These include webinars, peer support groups, telephone coaching and various publications. Check out what's available here - Diabetes Tasmania - How we can help 

The University of Tasmania received funding from the Australian Government. Views and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of its authors, and may not be the same as those held by the Department of Health.

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