📈 Dementia in Texas

🌞 Rise and shine. It's Monday.

🌦️ Today's weather: Chance of afternoon showers with highs in the 90s.

🎺 Sounds like: "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Today's newsletter is 538 words — a 2-minute read.

Almost 8% of Medicare recipients in Harris County likely have Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, according to researchers developing the first-ever national dementia surveillance system.

Why it matters: The lack of a widely accepted monitoring tool has made it hard to get a fix on the prevalence of dementia and to direct spending on care, even as science makes it easier to clinically diagnose symptoms and slow cognitive decline.

The big picture: Cases of dementia — a general term for loss of cognitive abilities — are expected to triple worldwide by 2050 as the population ages.

By the numbers: Texas has the second-highest dementia prevalence rate in Medicare recipients of any state at 8.1%, according to the Dementia DataHub.

• In the Houston area, Chambers County showed the highest prevalence rate with 8.8%, followed by Harris County with 7.9%, Brazoria County with 7.6% and Galveston County with 7.5%.
• Liberty County's prevalence rate is 7.3%, Waller County is 7.2%, and Montgomery and Fort Bend counties each have a 7.1% rate.

Reality check: Dementia is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and this tool "still only involves people with diagnosed dementia," the Alzheimer's Association noted.

• "Additional tools are needed to fully understand total dementia prevalence across the country, while also expanding efforts to ensure a timely diagnosis for all in need."

The other side: The surveillance tool could be helpful in directing public health efforts, but improving care still requires higher Medicare reimbursements for dementia patients, John A. Hartford Foundation president Terry Fulmer tells Axios.

Houston's abundance of aging-friendly homes makes it the No. 2 destination for baby boomers looking to relocate, according to a report by real estate platform Opendoor.

Why it matters: Nationwide, there's a shortage of homes with features an aging population wants.

• Only 43% of all multistory homes have both a bedroom and a full bathroom on the first floor, per U.S. Census Bureau data.

What they did: Opendoor analyzed its more than 50 markets to determine which had the highest percentage of homes with features beneficial to people 55-plus, then ranked them in a top 10 list.

The big picture: Houston's housing market has plenty of homes that are single-story, the Opendoor analysis says.

🍇 The city of Houston stopped funding Dinner to Home, its free meals for homeless program a half-mile from the library, sending crowds back to Food Not Bombs outside the library. (Houston Chronicle)

🗣️ U.S. Senate candidates Ted Cruz (R) and Colin Allred (D) agreed to a live debate in October, weeks before Election Day. (KHOU)

🚌 Some Texas prisons and jails are recruiting teenagers to address guard shortages. (Texas Tribune)

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👂 Listen to improvised music and experimental sounds at Lawndale Art and Performance Center's They, Who Sound event Monday.

• Free. 7:30pm.

🧘 Get your body moving at Trebly Park's Yoga Flow on Wednesday.

• Free with reservation. 6:30pm.

🪄 Test your wizarding knowledge at "Harry Potter" trivia at Little Woodrow's in the Heights on Wednesday.

• Free. 7pm.

💃 Dance the night away to old-school R&B classics at Caps Supper Club and Bar on Wednesday.

• Tickets start at $7. 7:30pm.

🤣 Laugh it up at the Secret Group with a showcase presented by Dirty Mike and The Boys on Thursday.

• Tickets are $5. 8pm.

Over 200 facilities in Texas practice Responsible Care, the chemical industry's leading safety and sustainability initiative.

The impact: Responsible Care companies have a worker safety rating 4x better than the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Learn more.

Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.

🎂 Shafaq is wishing the happiest of birthdays to her mom.

🧳 Jay is doing some last-minute packing for Axios Local's retreat this week.