Marywood University to Hold Free, Confidential Memory Screenings
SCRANTON, PA (October 26, 2017)—Marywood University will offer free, confidential memory screenings on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, as part of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s (AFA) National Memory Screening Program. The screenings will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the Psychological Service Center, in the McGowan Center for Graduate and Professional Studies, on the University’s campus.
Qualified healthcare professionals will administer the memory screenings and provide educational materials about memory concerns, brain health and caregiving. The face-to-face screenings consist of a series of questions and tasks, and take approximately five to ten minutes to administer.
According to the event organizer, Brooke Cannon, Ph.D., professor of psychology and clinical neuropsychologist, “Annual memory screenings, like regular physical exams, allow for identification of potential cognitive problems and monitoring of already existing impairment.”
Memory screenings are an important part of successful aging and are gaining in popularity. Last year alone, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) screened more than 250,000 people through its National Memory Screening Program (NMSP). Further, a recent study suggests that screenings may detect cognitive impairment up to 18 years prior to clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
AFA suggests memory screenings for anyone concerned about memory loss, for those experiencing warning signs of dementia, or for people who want to see how their memory is now and for future comparisons. Warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease include forgetting people’s names and events, asking repetitive questions, loss of verbal or written skills, confusion and personality changes.
For additional information about National Memory Screening Day at Marywood University, please call the Psychological Services Center, at (570) 348-6269.