Baldwin County Memory Screening/Balance Testing Background & Info

Background & Info on Baldwin County Memory Screening/Balance Testing

By Sam Strite
For a number of years, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (a non profit based in NYC, which primarily raises money in support of Alzheimer’s care givers and support groups, as opposed to the Alzheimer’s Association, which raises money for Alzheimer’s medical research), has supported and run a National Memory Screening Program. I have been receiving the AFA newsletter for over 15 years and in 2014 I saw a map they published that showed the locations across the USA where one could go for a free memory screening. I checked Alabama and saw that Huntsville was the only location in Alabama where one could go. I contacted AFA and started one for South Baldwin County. We went ‘live’ in November 2014 and have been holding screenings each year since – one in October/November, primarily for local people, and one in February, primarily for Snowbirds. We now have over 70 volunteers who support our screening efforts. Balance Testing was added to our program in the fall of 2016 and we can show you how to improve your sense of balance, regardless of your age.
Since we need ‘medical professionals’ to conduct our memory screenings, we rely on many retired nurses, dental technicians, pharmacists, care givers, etc. Those who are not medical professionals serve as our Greeters and Balance Testers. We have a number of volunteers who are Snowbirds and volunteer to help us after they arrive in the winter. Our events run about 4 hours and with roughly 9 events a year, that is only 36 hours of active screening/testing. During that time we historically screen over 225 people, with the numbers growing each year. We feel that the biggest contribution we make is 92% of the people who come for a screening have never had one before and they do not know whether their memory loss is ‘normal’ or not. ALL seniors suffer memory loss, particularly short term memory loss. To come and be screened, and then be told that their memory loss is normal, age related memory loss, is a very comforting thing for those who come. For those who fail our test, we tell them that the test is not a diagnostic tool but an indicator of severe memory loss. We give them several forms to take to their doctor for further evaluation. Since memory loss can be caused by a number of factors (other than Dementia), it is important for a person to have a more complete evaluation. Memory loss can be caused by thyroid problems, medicine/drugs, dehydration (common in seniors), chemotherapy and radiation can also cause it. Only a doctor can determine the cause.
We call ourselves TESTING 1, 2, 3. We are not a non-profit nor an organization, just a group of volunteers. We do not charge money for our screenings nor accept donations. GlenLakes Golf Course sponsors our events by giving us cards to hand out to participants allowing them to play GlenLakes at any time for a reduced rate. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America provides us with literature and our testing material.
Here are some facts about Alzheimer’s:
• It is the 6th leading cause of death in the US and is the only one of the top 10 that is not curable, preventable nor able to be put in remission.
• Over 6 million people in the US now suffer from Alzheimer’s, 2/3 of whom are women. It is estimated that there will be 25 million suffering from the disease in 2025, if there are no medical breakthroughs.
• Until 7 years ago, Alzheimer’s was not diagnosable as the cause of death without an autopsy. Today, the condition can be diagnosed with a brain scan.
• Dementia is a general term that describes a group of symptoms such as memory loss and judgement/language impairment. It is a permanent and progressive disease. It is very common among the elderly. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of Dementia. It is progressive, irreversible and leads to death.
• The cycle of Alzheimer’s is roughly 12 years, depending on when it is diagnosed. 12 years would be an early diagnosis and most diagnoses come about the 8th year. The cycle is the length of time from diagnosis to death. It is now possible to diagnose Alzheimer’s even earlier than 12 years but a diagnosis would seldom be requested because the symptoms at that point are relatively mild and are similar to normal age related memory loss. Early onset Alzheimer’s, which might occur in a person’s 50’s, generally moves ‘faster’ than later cases.
• The odds of a healthy woman at age 65 developing Alzheimer’s is 1 in 6. For a man, it is 1 in 11. The risk of Dementia doubles every 5 years between 65 and 95 years of age. Alzheimer’s in women progresses at a faster rate than in men.
• Early detection of Alzheimer’s is thought to be possible by measuring a person’s sense of smell and/or through a vision test. Both are still in the study phase.
• Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is getting a lot of press these days because of the number of football players in the NFL who have suffered from the disease. Over 95% of those who died “early” and had their brain donated to research, suffered from CTE. The symptoms of CTE are almost identical to those of someone with Alzheimer’s and many people with CTE are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Both are diseases where Beta Amyloid Plaque builds up in the brain and eventually ‘short circuits’ the wiring of the brain. Today, CTE can only be determined by an autopsy since a brain scan cannot differentiate it from Alzheimer’s. CTE is caused by repetitive hits to the head. They do not have to be severe blows but it is the multiple blows over years that cause the condition.