Rural Dementia Care Solutions | Lexington News

Lexington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 26, 2026 · 2m

In rural America, Alzheimer’s and dementia hit harder—and harder to treat—due to isolation, limited access to care, and higher rates of chronic illness. Researchers at the University of Minnesota are tackling this from multiple angles: Cliff Whitung is uncovering how Indigenous communities’ strong social ties may actually protect against dementia, Dereck Salisbury is bringing exercise directly to homes to boost mood and cognition, and Joseph Gaugler is spotlighting grassroots solutions that empower towns to build their own dementia-friendly systems. This isn’t about one-size-fits-all…