Healthy Aging Brain Center treats dementia and other cognitive problems in older adults
February 19, 2008
Contact: Todd Harper
Phone: 317-630-7808
Pager: 317-310-5972
In an effort to help diagnose and treat memory problems, the Senior Care program at Wishard Health Services is opening the Healthy Aging Brain Center, offering a unique team approach of care by evaluating each patient thoroughly to uncover all possible causes of memory problems and provide a comprehensive management plan to help both the patient and caregiver.
This new center is unique in its approach by broadening the definition of the term “patient” to include the patient’s caregiver and family. The center also expands the doctor’s office to include doctors, nurses and social workers communicating and working with patients not only at the center, but also at the patient’s home. The center provides a multidisciplinary team approach to care utilizing services and treatment plans through the center’s affiliation with the IU Center for Aging Research.
The Healthy Aging Brain Center brings top memory specialists together in one place making it easier for patients and families to access the appropriate care based on the individual case. The center, which is celebrating its grand opening February 22, will also be one of the only facilities of its kind that will include a key research component to the treatment process by helping to eliminate the barrier that exists between research and the clinic.
"The Healthy Aging Brain Center's close ties with the IU Center for Aging Research will allow staff to offer care based on the latest cutting-edge research," said Dr. Cathy Schubert, medical director of the IU Center for Senior Health at Wishard and assistant professor of medicine at the IU School of Medicine. "After diagnosis, this team of experts will continue to work with patients, families and primary care providers to ensure collaborative, holistic care throughout the course of the illness."
The new outpatient center is part of expanded services offered by the IU Center for Senior Health at Wishard and is located on the fourth floor of Regenstrief Health Center on the Wishard campus. The goal of the new center is to compliment the support and care a patient receives from his or her primary care physician in caring for patients with dementia, from diagnosis until death.
"Specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment in patients age 55 or older, the Healthy Aging Brain Center will use multidisciplinary teams to a provide state-of-the-art workup of memory complaints," Dr. Schubert explained.
During the first visit, the center will perform an initial cognitive assessment including neuropsychological testing, an MRI, medication review and a social history evaluation. The staff will then help the patient and caregivers develop a personal treatment plan that includes medications and activities to improve daily life. The multidisciplinary team consists of a geriatrician, a registered nurse and a social worker. Patients must be referred to the center by their primary care physician.
"Wishard has recognized the burden that cognitive impairment has in older adults as well as on caregivers and is attempting to do something to lessen the burden," said Dr. Malaz Boustani, who serves as a geriatrician for the Health Aging Brain Center and is also a scientist for the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and a research investigator at the IU Center for Aging Research. "This center represents a model of care that is unmatched for older adults who are facing dementia and other memory impairment problems."
Although everyone forgets things from time to time, chronic or progressive memory loss is a clear sign of a more serious memory disorder such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Boustani explained that if memory disorders go unchecked, it may put a person at risk or lead to further medical problems.
Studies have shown that nearly one in seven U.S. adults aged 71 and older, or roughly 3.4 million people, have some form of dementia.
Take Wishard for example. Each primary care physician cares for about 2,000 patients, 300 of whom are age 65 or older. On average 24 of these patients will develop dementia in any given year. Patients with dementia suffer from numerous chronic medical conditions that often require complex treatment regimens.
While Alzheimer's is by far the most common type of dementia, there are other disorders that also result in memory loss as people age, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, stroke and cognitive impairment.
For more information about the Healthy Aging Brain Center, please call (317) 630-8790.