 |
Senior Community Services and the
Coastal Bend Caregiver Coalition to Hold
Free Memory Screenings |
November 17, 2009, 3pm - 7pm
Greenwood Senior Center
4040 Greenwood Drive
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National Event Stresses the Importance of Proper Detection and Treatment
The City of Corpus Christi Senior Community Services Division and the Coastal Bend Caregiver Coalition will host the National Memory Screening Day.
The event will also include Exhibit booths and Resource Information. Benefits Counselors will be on hand to conduct Benefits CheckUps to review eligibility for support services and assist Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in reviewing their current coverage for any 2010 changes before the annual enrollment period begins November 15, 2009.
Consumers who want a status check on their memory can take advantage of free, confidential screenings on as part of National Memory Screening Day, an annual initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) designed to promote proper detection of memory problems and strategies for successful aging.
Memory screenings are a significant first step toward finding out if a person may have a memory problem. Memory problems could be caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other medical conditions.
Now in its seventh year, AFA’s National Memory Screening Day coincides with National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, which takes place during November. Sites across the country will be participating.
AFA suggests memory screenings for adults concerned about memory loss or experiencing warning signs of dementia; whose family and friends have noticed changes in them; or who believe they are at risk due to a family history of Alzheimer's disease or a related illness. Screenings also are appropriate for those who do not have a concern right now, but who want to see how their memory is now and for future comparisons.
The event features a face-to-face screening, which takes only about five to ten minutes, and consists of a series of questions and tasks. It is administered by a qualified healthcare professional, such as a physician, nurse, psychologist or social worker. The results do not represent a diagnosis, and AFA advises those individuals with below-normal scores or those who have normal scores but are still concerned to follow up with a qualified healthcare professional.
Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and CEO, is urging consumers “to be proactive about brain health.”
”We pay so much attention to the health of our bodies, but we should be equally concerned about the health of our brains,” he said. “National Memory Screening Day offers the opportunity to find out how your memory is now and to learn how to protect it in the future.”
Warning signs of dementia include forgetting people’s names and events, asking repetitive questions, loss of verbal or written skills and confusion over daily routines.
Currently, as many as 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and the incidence is rising in line with the aging population. Age is the greatest known risk factor.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
For more information about National Memory Screening Day, visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org or call 866-AFA-8484. For more information contact Elsa Munoz, Senior Community Services Division Superintendent, at 361-826-3150.
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