“The 2013 Memory Screening Project was incredibly successful,” reported Delia Hernandez, southern regional manager for the Brazoria County Alzheimer’s Awareness Project. “It started off slowly, but we more than doubled the numbers the last two days. Our final total was 545 screenings, and we were able to identify 56 persons with severe cognitive deficits that we referred to healthcare professionals for more testing.”
“There are many reasons for memory loss, and since we had 68 nurses and social workers who were screeners, they were able to provide information about causes of memory loss that are totally reversible,” Hernandez said.
According to the BCAAP Coordinator Dale Libby, employees from 32 organizations including 27 healthcare companies, served as screeners at 11 Brazoria County libraries from Nov. 12 through Nov. 19. The healthcare professionals were augmented by 50 trained volunteer screeners from the Gathering Place and the Brazoria County Retired Teachers Association. “We were very pleased with the number of screenings and with the positive feedback we have received from people throughout the county,” said David T. Thrash, the Library Director of the Brazoria County Library System, “It was great that we were once again able to participate in this endeavor.”
“We are still waiting to hear from the Alzheimer’s Foundation if we kept our title as the largest memory screening project in the United States, but our screeners were not really motivated to retain the title. They all understand the importance of early detection of a memory disorder—that is their strong motivation,” Libby said.
Libby and Hernandez recently assumed their new roles at the Brazoria County Alzheimer’s Awareness Project, a partnership of the Brazoria County Health Department and Gathering Place Interfaith Ministries.
Libby shared his personal story at the June, 2012 Town Hall on Alzheimer’s disease at Commissioner’s Court. He took retirement from Dow in Jan., 2013 at age 58 to care for his wife Joyce, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. “It took three years to get an accurate diagnosis for my wife. She and I know the importance of an early diagnosis.”
As Coordinator, Libby will oversee events and activities that will increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and encourage early detection. “We have about 170 volunteers in the project, and five major activities already planned through May of 2014. “
For more information about BCAAP activities, call the Gathering Place at 979-864-1925.
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