SAGE To Hold Free Memory Screenings

Concerned about your memory?  SAGE Eldercare will be providing free, confidential memory screenings during normal business hours as part of Community Memory Screening and Awareness-Raising Education (AFA C.A.R.E.S.), an initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA).  The initiative is designed to promote early detection and intervention for people concerned about memory loss, as well as to educate the public about successful aging.

“SAGE is always striving to provide ways in which older adults can age independently in the comfort of their own homes and these memory screenings are a good way to be informed so that the aging process is as successful as possible,” stated Jessica Rosenzweig Gruber, Executive Director of SAGE Eldercare.

The face-to-face, noninvasive screening takes only about five to ten minutes and consists of a series of questions and tasks and will be administered by qualified healthcare professionals at SAGE.  The organization, located at 290 Broad Street in Summit, is taking appointments during normal business hours, Monday to Friday, at 908.598.5529.

AFA C.A.R.E.S. is part of AFA’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of memory concerns and educate the public about the importance of early detection and successful aging. AFA encourages screenings for adults with memory concerns, a family history of Alzheimer’s disease or who want to check their memory now and have the results for future comparison.

The results do not represent a diagnosis, and AFA advises those individuals who score poorly or who have normal scores but are still concerned to follow up with their physician or another qualified healthcare professional.

A subsequent medical exam may reveal that the person has a reversible condition, such as a vitamin deficiency or thyroid problem, or an irreversible disorder like Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.  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.    

In addition to community memory screenings taking place across the country, myriad sites nationwide offer free, confidential screenings on AFA’s National Memory Screening Day, which will be held on November 18, 2014. For more information about memory screenings, visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org or call 866-232-8484.

For the past 60 years, SAGE Eldercare has been helping make the communities they serve an amazing place to age.  The organization provides a wide array of information, support, and services designed to help people lead the most independent and active lives possible.  From helping with errands, to exercise classes, community programs, and home health care, SAGE’s expertise helps older adults remain in their own homes.  SAGE is committed to being the leading provider of programs and services to meet the changing needs of older adults, their families, and caregivers throughout Union, Essex, Morris and Somerset Counties.  For more information, please call 908.273.5550 or visit www.sageeldercare.org.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a national non-profit organization that unites more than 1,600 member organizations nationwide with the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a toll-free hot line staffed by licensed social workers, educational materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers and professional training.  For more information about AFA, call toll-free 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/alzfdn, or connect with us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlzheimersFoundationofAmerica.   The AFA C.A.R.E.S. initiative was made possible by a grant from the Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.