Dementia Care: Memory Screening in the Community

Wisconsin has approximately 120,000 people living with dementia, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Because age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, the number of people with dementia is expected to rise dramatically as the population ages, likely doubling by 2040. Access to memory screening and other early detection methods can help people with dementia and their families.

Early intervention is important. This is true even when the cause of a person’s cognitive change is an irreversible condition such as Alzheimer’s disease. Early detection can allow people to:

  • Work with their doctors to make lifestyle changes or find treatment options to address the progression and ease symptoms.
  • Make plans for the future. This might mean making health care and financial decisions at a time when the person with dementia can participate.
  • Learn about dementia and caregiving for a person with dementia. It can also give families time to arrange support.
  • Be prepared. People can get the information and support they need to avoid potential crisis situations and enjoy better quality of life.

A person can also benefit from memory screening even if the screen indicates that there are no concerns. If a person is worried about memory loss, screening may bring a sense of relief. It can also serve as a baseline for comparison with future memory screens. This baseline can help to track changes in memory and cognition over time.

Memory screening

If you want to print the manual, you can find the complete booklet here:

Memory Screening in the Community, manual only, P-01622 (PDF)

Memory Screening in the Community, manual with appendices, P-01622 (PDF)

To explore the manual by section, see below.

Publication cover
 

For more information

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Questions about the State Dementia Plan? Email dhsdementiawebmail@dhs.wisconsin.gov

Last revised January 3, 2023