Early Dementia Screening is the Key

The most effective way to help detect Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia is early screening. Detecting dementia early gives time for interventions to help mitigate or delay the onset of symptoms, resulting in an improved quality of life for you and your loved ones. While there still is no cure for dementia, symptoms can be treated with medication. Outside of medical benefits, early screening also provides social, emotional, and planning benefits. The earlier you know the earlier you will be able to make important decisions, including planning long-term care.

One of the best ways to get screened is a brief cognitive assessment through your primary care provider. A brief cognitive assessment is a short medical evaluation for cognitive impairment that can include questions about recent thinking struggles, input from family, or even a short, structured assessment. While 94% of seniors have seen a Primary Care Provider (PCP) for routine medical exams over the last year, fewer than half (47%) have ever discussed their thinking or memory abilities with a health care provider (Alz 2019 facts and figures). Adding this simple assessment to a senior’s annual exam can make a real difference.