Memory Screening Day is Nov. 4 at St. Benedict’s Senior Community

St. Cloud, Minn. – St. Benedict’s Senior Community and CentraCare Health Home Care & Hospiceencourages everyone to be proactive about memory health. Join us for pie, coffee and information about memory loss from 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the Bonn Great Room, St. Benedict’s Senior Community, 1810 Minnesota Blvd. SE. From 2-4 p.m. there will be free, confidential memory screening and community resource booths. From 4-5 p.m., Jessica Harstad, certified validation therapist, will provide practical validation method skills that caregivers can use. View event details.

This event is part of National Memory Screening Day (NMSD), an annual initiative that the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) holds each November during National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. These free, confidential memory screenings are the first step toward finding out if a person may have a memory problem.

AFA urges anyone concerned about memory changes, at risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to family history or who wants to check their memory now and for future comparison to get screened. Warning signs of dementia include forgetting people’s names and events, asking repetitive questions, loss of verbal or written skills, confusion over daily routines, and erratic mood swings.

“Qualified health care professionals administer the screenings, which consist of a series of questions and tasks, and take five to ten minutes. Screening results are not a diagnosis, and individuals with below-normal scores or who have concerns are encouraged to pursue a full medical exam,” said Brenda Turner, LSW, Director of Resident Support Services at St. Benedict’s Senior Community. “Screenings also are helpful in establishing a baseline for future comparisons.”

Some questions that might help you decide if you need a memory screening are:

1. Am I becoming more forgetful?
2. Do I have trouble concentrating?
3. Do I have difficulty performing familiar tasks?
4. Do I have trouble recalling words or names in conversation?
5. Do I sometimes forget where I am or where I am going?
6. Have family or friends told me that I am repeating questions or saying the same thing over and over again?
7. Am I misplacing things more often?
8. Have I become lost when walking or driving?
9. Have my family or friends noticed changes in my mood, behavior, personality, or desire to do things?

This event is sponsored by St. Benedict’s Senior Community and CentraCare Health Home Care & Hospice. To schedule a Memory Screening, call 320-654-2355.