As part of National Memory Screening Day, an annual initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), the Clearfield County Centers for Active Living (CAL) will offer free, confidential memory screenings in November.
Qualified healthcare professionals will administer the memory screenings and provide educational materials about memory concerns, brain health and caregiving.
The face-to-face screenings are free, will take place in a private setting and consist of a series of questions to gauge memory, language and thinking skills and take approximately 10 minutes to administer.
The centers will offer the screenings in partnership with the AFA, Clear Care Nursing Service, The Women’s Health Center of Penn Highlands Health Care and Guardian Home and Community Services Inc.
The screenings will be held at the following times and locations: Coalport CAL on Friday, Nov. 4, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Karthaus CAL on Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Kylertown CAL on Thursday, Nov. 10, from 10:35 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Clearfield CAL on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Mahaffey CAL on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; Parkside Community Center, DuBois on Monday, Nov. 21, from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; and Houtzdale Family Service Center on Monday, Nov. 28, from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
AFA suggests memory screenings for anyone concerned about memory loss or experiencing warning signs of dementia; whose family and friends have noticed changes in them; who believe they are at risk due to a family history of dementia; or who want to see how their memory is now.
Screeners emphasize that this is only a screening, not a diagnosis. A comprehensive assessment by your primary care physician or specialist is necessary to identify the cause of memory problems. Memory screenings are helpful in detecting significant memory impairment, but they are not sensitive enough to detect minor problems or diagnose an illness.
Although there currently is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, early intervention can improve the quality of an individual’s life. Available medications may help slow progression of symptoms and diagnosed individuals can more readily participate in long-term care planning.
Warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease include forgetting people’s names and events, asking repetitive questions, loss of verbal or written skills, confusion and personality changes.
There are no reservations needed for the screenings. Lunch will also be available at the center, and anyone wishing to reserve a lunch should call the centers by 9 a.m. that day.
The lunch is on donation basis for anyone over 60 and $3.50 for anyone under 60. Information on this and other programs, meals, and activities is available by calling the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging at 814-765-2696 or 1-800-225-8571 or visiting the CCAAA Web site at www.ccaaa.net.
Programs and services of the agency are additionally funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc., Mature Resources Foundation and local and consumer contributions.