National Memory Screening Day event hosted by Texas Tech Physicians

Early detection is key to getting the help a loved one needs.

On, Wednesday, Texas Tech Physicians Geriatric Oncology, alongside the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, provided free memory screenings at the Texas Tech Physicians First Floor lobby, 1400 South Coulter, in observance of National Memory Screening Day.

The event began at 8 a.m. with Mayor Ginger Nelson and Richard Jordan, M.D, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine Regional Dean, and representatives of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, along with other resources.

“Families bring in their loved ones or individuals that they have concern for, to go through free confidential testing in order to see if they need to seek treatments that are available,” Jordan said. “If an individual is consistently forgetting a close colleague's name or getting lost in familiar surroundings, it is time to get your loved one in for a screening.”

According to reports, the screening consists of a series of tasks and questions that take around 10 minutes to complete. The results will help determine if the individual would benefit from comprehensive medical evaluation, but it is important to know that this test does not diagnose an individual or replace consultation with a physician or other clinician.

“Anytime someone feels forgetful, someone with a history of dementia in the family, and anyone who starts wondering about him or herself. ... The age for geriatrics has not been overall settled. It is a disease that we can’t reverse, but we can work with the environment to ease the impact,” said Tarek Naguib, Regional Chair of Internal Medicine for TTUHSC School of Medicine.

Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can give the individual an advantage of treatments to slow down the changes in thinking skills, memory skills, and the ability to participate in clinical trials.

The Bivins Foundation provides a grant to fund the department of Texas Tech Physicians Geriatric Oncology, making it possible to collaborate with different physicians across the health care system to provide tests and resources to the senior population in Amarillo.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: National Memory Screening Day hosted by Texas Tech Physicians