UCSF Leads Statewide Efforts to Improve Dementia Care, Diagnosis
In recognition of brain health awareness month, UCSF Health is highlighting innovations to improve access and awareness related to brain health and dementia detection.
A critical step in meeting the needs of the growing aging population is early recognition of cognitive decline. In California, women who live to be 65 or older have a one in four chance of developing any type of dementia and men have a one in six chance. Early detection may help slow progression of cognitive decline and improve quality of life for people living with the condition and their care partners.
Two UC San Francisco-led programs are providing tools to support cognitive assessment and dementia care and awareness.
Dementia Care Aware (DCA) is a program for primary care teams developed by principal investigator Anna Chodos, MD, MPH, a geriatric specialist and UCSF professor of Medicine. Initially created for the California Department of Health Care Services (Medi-Cal), the goal of DCA is to equip primary care providers and their teams to detect dementia early using an approach called the cognitive health assessment (CHA). DCA provides free online and live training, information for clinics on how to start a dementia screening program, and resources for people living with dementia and their caregivers.
“Dementia is often diagnosed in its later stages, so our program is an effort to work with primary care to uncover its symptoms as early as possible,” said Chodos. “Primary care is uniquely situated to detect dementia early, engage patients in brain health, and support patients and their caregivers over time. We empower primary care teams to provide options for patients that will help them move forward with their lives and manage their dementia symptoms.”
Tools to spot and reduce your risk of dementia
Dementia Care Aware created the Cognitive Health Assessment, a dementia screening approach for patients ages 65 and older who have not already been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to conduct and can be included as part of any type of visit, such as a routine medical visit or Medicare annual wellness visit.
Another UCSF Health collaboration with the state of California is the Brain Health Toolkit — a digital information hub designed to support brain health as people age. The toolkit, which is intended for both clinicians and individuals concerned about their brain health, is a comprehensive and free resource that empowers older people to understand when and how to talk to their primary care clinician about changes in memory and thinking.
“Many people are worried and want to better understand what brain changes are normal with age,” said Deborah Barnes, PhD, UCSF professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and creator of the Brain Health Toolkit. “While there is no certain way to prevent dementia, this tool offers tips to reduce risk. At the same time, it also points to warning signs that might necessitate a visit to their doctor.”
The toolkit’s patient-centered approach helps users distinguish between typical aging and warning signs of dementia. It provides suggestions for questions and concerns to address when seeing their doctor. The toolkit also encourages activities that support brain health such as exercising, prioritizing sleep, connecting with others, and learning new things.
The Brain Health Toolkit is available online in both English and Spanish, and Barnes is seeking funding for physical copies to distribute to providers and at community events.
About UCSF Health: UCSF Health is recognized worldwide for its innovative patient care, reflecting the latest medical knowledge, advanced technologies and pioneering research. It includes the flagship UCSF Medical Center, which is a top-ranked specialty hospital, as well as UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, with campuses in San Francisco and Oakland; two community hospitals, UCSF Health St. Mary's and UCSF Health Saint Francis; Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital; UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians; and the UCSF Faculty Practice. These hospitals serve as the academic medical center of the University of California, San Francisco, which is world-renowned for its graduate-level health sciences education and biomedical research. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. Visit www.ucsfhealth.org. Follow UCSF Health on Facebook or on Twitter.