Writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, Roni DasGupta, described her experience with her father’s Alzheimer’s disease. She warned that a wave of disease is coming and drew on her firm’s research into gaps in the medical system to advocate for expanded access to cognitive screening and diagnosis.
“Addressing this problem starts with broader access to early and accurate diagnosis. While there is still no cure, disease-modifying therapies and lifestyle changes like diet, exercise and brain training can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and increase the chances of living independently longer. I think about how it would have meant to me and my family had my father been diagnosed sooner and we had a chance to help him delay or even avoid some of the worst impacts of this disease.
“Yet only about 16% of adults over age 65 are routinely screened for dementia. Part of the problem is that primary care doctors are unprepared and inadequately trained to provide dementia care. With a national shortage of neurologists, family doctors are a crucial front line in identifying signs of the disease and referring patients for testing. They need education and incentives to consistently ask their patients the right questions and surface discussions about Alzheimer’s early on as part of routine care for aging patients.
They also need to know how to approach the stigma and embarrassment around the disease. The topic of dementia is sensitive, especially when the person experiencing memory loss or confusion doesn’t believe or want to admit to what’s happening. And like me with my dad, it can be hard for family members to pick up warning signs, which can be subtle and easily dismissed. Even minor hesitation can delay diagnosis and care for months if not years.”
“…Medical research advances are on the cusp of major breakthroughs in early detection and treatment options. Alzheimer’s produces damaging proteins in the brain decades before symptoms begin, and research is underway to develop tests that could surface these earliest signs of disease. In the future, early detection could start with a simple blood sample drawn during primary care visits. The next generation of tests might even detect these damaging proteins in the brain long before symptoms appear.”
Roni is chief executive officer at Atlas Primary, a market research firm. You can read her Op-Ed in the San Francisco Chronicle here.