ALZHEIMER'S FOUNDATION'S NATIONAL MEMORY SCREENING PROGRAM COMES TO NORTH ANDOVER

As part of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s (AFA) National Memory Screening Program, Edgewood LifeCare Community will offer free, confidential memory screenings on November 4, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Screenings will be held in the Auditorium at Edgewood, 575 Osgood Street in North Andover, MA.

Qualified healthcare professionals will administer the memory screenings and provide educational materials about memory concerns, brain health and caregiving. The face-to-face screenings consist of a series of questions and tasks, and last approximately 10 minutes.

Memory screenings are an important part of successful aging and are gaining in popularity. Last year alone, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) screened more than 250,000 people through its National Memory Screening Program (NMSP). Further, a recent study suggests that screenings may detect cognitive impairment up to 18 years prior to clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

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 and for future comparisons. 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.

Screeners emphasize that results are not a diagnosis, and encourage individuals who score below the normal threshold, as well as those who still have concerns, to see their primary care physician for a thorough evaluation.

Currently, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and that number is expected to nearly triple by mid-century. Advanced age is the greatest known risk factor for the disease, which results in loss of memory and other intellectual functions, and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

For more information about this event, contact Jennie True at Edgewood, (978) 725-4127.

For more information about the National Memory Screening Program, call (toll-free) 866-232-8484 or visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org.