Senior Concerns to hold free memory screenings

Senior Concerns will conduct memory screenings from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tues., Nov. 14 at 401 Hodencamp Road, Thousand Oaks. Call (805) 497-0159 today, Thurs., Nov. 9 to make a reservation. Space is limited.

In addition to the screenings, three community presentations will also be held: Memory and Aging from 10:30 to 11 a.m. and again from 3 to 3:30 p.m., and Ask the Doctor from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

National Memory Screening Day coincides with National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in November. This year is the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Alzheimer's disease by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician who detected the disease's characteristic plaques and tangles during an autopsy of a woman's brain.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America suggests that anyone concerned about changes in memory or other intellectual functions should be screened. Warning signs include forgetfulness about names and events, asking repetitive questions, loss of verbal or written skills, confusion and erratic mood swings.

The noninvasive screening consists of questions and tasks to assess memory. It takes about 10 minutes and will be administered by neuropsychologist Dr. Ari Kalechstein, a senior faculty member and associate research psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA.

The screening could indicate whether someone should follow up with a complete exam. A comprehensive medical exam may reveal that the person is suffering from a reversible condition, such as a vitamin deficiency or thyroid problem, or from an irreversible disorder like Alzheimer's disease.

You can find details about National Memory Screening Day at www.nationalmemoryscreening.org.