Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are two of the most prevalent issues in elder care today. Elderly health care providers are charged not only with recognizing cognitive challenges in the seniors for him they provide care, but also in devising and implementing different ways to help prevent these cognitive challenges from developing and treat or at least manage them when they do develop. As an elder care provider, you may find yourself constantly worrying about whether your aging loved one will develop the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and become incredibly stressed at the prospect of how these diseases impact of life of a patient and his caregivers. It is important understand that early recognition of the cognitive and memory challenges is critical to the appropriate and effective management of these diseases, and that through memory screening as a regular part of an elder care plan, the earliest signs of memory and cognitive challenges can be detected and the condition monitored and managed into the future.
Elder care memory screening helps elderly health care providers recognize early onset symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but also helps to eliminate potential causes for these symptoms so that they can be eradicated and the disease managed better. Regular memory screening shows how well a senior can remember simple to complex concepts, process thought patterns and engage critical thinking. While some of the tests that are used during an elder care memory screening may seem confusing and even unrelated to the concept of memory care, each of the steps of such as screening is specifically designed to illustrate an individual thought pattern or process.
If you are providing elderly home care for an aging loved one and a memory screening indicates that the memory or cognitive challenges are beginning, it is important that you take immediate steps to manage these symptoms so that the condition does not deteriorate rapidly. Prompt and effective response to early onset symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is the best way to help keep seniors who suffer from these diseases healthy, productive and functional for as long as possible.
