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Alzheimer’s Foundation’s National Memory Screening
Day Offers Free Testing
More than 700 sites available for free memory
screening on November 15
Oct. 27, 2005 - Tens of thousands of Americans
concerned about memory loss, including the wave of baby boomers that
will start turning 60 next year and senior citizens, are expected to
take advantage of free in-person memory screenings on National Memory
Screening Day on November 15. The program is an initiative of the
Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) and is held annually during
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.
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The goal of National Memory Screening Day is to
promote early detection and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related
illnesses, as well as to provide information about successful aging.
Introduced three years ago, the event has been
gaining momentum each year -- with more than 700 sites in nearly all 50
states offering the face-to-face screenings on November 15.
New locations this year include Kmart pharmacies,
AARP chapters and banks; other screenings are taking place at local
Alzheimer's organizations, community centers and physicians' offices.
To find a local screening site online
click here, or call toll-free 866-AFA-8484.
Actress Deidre Hall, best known as "Dr. Marlena
Evans" on Days of Our Lives, is encouraging anybody with memory concerns
to participate in National Memory Screening Day.
"Memory loss is a hard thing for people to
acknowledge. But it's also very helpful to be proactive and to find out
what you're facing. Getting a memory screening is a first step toward
knowledge and a giant step toward care. It can make all the difference
for families," said Hall, whose father had Alzheimer's disease.
The incidence of Alzheimer's disease is expected to
triple by mid-century to an estimated 16 million Americans. However, the
disease is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by clinicians using routine
history and medical examinations. Warning signs of dementia include
forgetfulness about names and events, asking repetitive questions, loss
of verbal or written skills, confusion, and erratic mood swings.
Administered by doctors, social workers or other
healthcare professionals, the non-invasive, confidential screenings used
on National Memory Screening Day take about ten minutes and consist of
tasks to assess memory and other intellectual functions. Most commonly
used is the Mini-Mental State Examination, which has been documented as
an effective screening tool for dementia.
According to Richard Powers, M.D., an AFA board
member and chief of the Bureau of Geriatric Psychiatry at the Alabama
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, these memory
screenings provide "a unique opportunity for healthcare consumers to
receive optimal care."
"There's nothing that replaces the human contact
during these screenings. Professionals can answer consumers' questions,
emphasize the importance of follow-up and direct at-risk individuals to
appropriate clinical and community resources," he said.
Dr. Powers added: "Early detection enables persons
to benefit most from available medications that can help slow the
progress of symptoms, and psychological and social interventions that
can ease the journey for families. And it enables individuals to
exercise self-determination related to future care, and legal and
financial issues."
On National Memory Screening Day, these simple
screenings are used to flag a potential problem, but are not used to
diagnose any illness. Clinicians urge individuals with abnormal scores
to pursue an extensive medical evaluation by a qualified healthcare
professional.
As a follow-up to a screening, exams may reveal
that the person is suffering from a reversible condition, such as a
vitamin deficiency or thyroid problem, or from an irreversible disorder
like Alzheimer's disease.
Eric J. Hall, AFA's chief executive officer, noted
that queries to AFA and its hundreds of member organizations indicate
that more and more people, especially aging baby boomers, are concerned
about memory loss.
"We hold National Memory Screening Day each year
because it's so important for people to find out what is causing memory
loss. If it is Alzheimer's disease, we want the public to know that,
like with other diseases, catching it early could improve health
outcomes," he said, adding:
"More often, people walk away from these screenings
with a big sigh of relief. Plus, we use this as a vehicle to promote
ways for people to protect their brain health."
Several recent studies point to the importance of
early detection. Among them, a study in Neurology found that individuals
with mild dementia and those aware of their diagnosis were more likely
to be able to make competent decisions regarding their treatment.
Another study, published in the Archives of Neurology, concluded that
the Latino population in particular needs to recognize symptoms of
Alzheimer's disease since they developed symptoms seven years earlier
than white non-Latino subjects.
This year's sponsors of National Memory Screening
Day are Forest Pharmaceuticals and Ortho-McNeil Neurologics.
AFA is a New York-based national nonprofit
organization that focuses on care for individuals with Alzheimer's
disease and related illnesses, and their families. It unites hundreds of
member organizations across North America that provide hands-on support
services. AFA's services include a toll-free hotline, educational
materials, a free caregiver magazine and professional training. For more
information, call (toll-free) 866-AFA-8484 or visit
http://www.alzfdn.org/.
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