South Nassau tests memory in free screenings

Hospital, Alzheimer’s Foundation join forces

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“I’m going to say three words,” said Lauren Totaro, national program coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. “The words are apple, table and penny. Can you repeat them back to me?”

“Apple, table, penny,” I shot back.

“The next one’s a little trickier,” she continued. “I want you to spell the word ‘world’ backwards.”

“D…L…R-O-W,” I uttered slowly.

“And what were those three words?” she asked again.

“Apple, table and penny.”

South Nassau Communities Hospital offered free memory screenings at its Oceanside campus on Nov. 29 as part of a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of different forms of dementia, and to emphasize the importance of detecting memory problems early.

More than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s — someone is diagnosed every 60 seconds, said Dr. Adhi Sharma, the hospital’s senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer. The disease is characterized by the degeneration of healthy brain tissue, resulting in memory loss and cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s accounts for about two-thirds of all dementia cases.

“It’s very important that we screen people and that we get them knowledge, because knowledge is power,” Sharma said. “Although we don’t have a cure today, understanding what you’re afflicted with can impact your decisions …”

The hospital provided the one-on-one, 15-minute screenings in collaboration with the AFA, which unites more than 2,600 member organizations around the country to provide care and services to people living with dementia, as well as to their families and caregivers. The AFA held its first National Memory Screening Day in 2003, and has screened about 3 million people since.

Qualified memory specialists conducting the assessment gave individuals recommendations to follow up with a physician for full evaluation if they scored below a certain threshold.

Charles Fuschillo, a former state senator and president and chief executive officer of the AFA, said people of all ages should get screened, and emphasized, “The best medicine is preventive medicine.” Earliest symptoms of the disease are gradual and often subtle, which is why brain health needs to be included in a patient’s yearly evaluation to differentiate possible dementia from normal signs of aging, he added.

“Some people take better care of their cars and change their oil every 3,000 miles,” Fuschillo said. “Some people do get an annual physical. But if you ask them how many physicians check their brain and their memory as part of their healthy check-up, many don’t.”

Joanne Newcombe, a registered nurse and SNCH’s vice president for community health development, said that the hospital would be offering more free screenings in the coming year, and added that it would be launching the assessments in area nursing homes in March.

As my Nov. 29 memory screening with Totaro continued, she said, “The next one’s timed,” Totaro continued. “What I want you to do is name as many animals as you can think of in 30 seconds. It doesn’t matter what they are. They can be any type of animal. I just don’t want you to repeat any, OK?”

“Dog, cat, cheetah, zebra, lion, tiger …,” I began. I got 18, and as Totaro tallied my score, I finished well above the threshold. She still recommended a screening each year for me, at age 23, and all participants.

Mary Jo and Carmine Dapice, of Baldwin, have been married for 50 years, and said they welcomed the opportunity to make an appointment after receiving an email about the free screenings. The couple were among 74 people who signed up.

“I’m 84 years old,” said Carmine, who has two siblings who suffer from memory loss. “The thing is, she’s nine years younger, and I’ll ask her ‘Mary, what is that word?’ and she can’t remember it either.”

Carmine, a retired social studies teacher, said he also sometimes forgets historical facts and dates. He did not hesitate, though, when spelling his last name.

“My last name?” he said with a smirk. “I’ll do it backwards. E-C-T-I…P-A-D.”

His wife corrected him. “It’s E-C-I-P-A-D.” No ‘T.’

“This should be a part of the annual physical that is done by doctors every year, because it would raise the issue of memory loss or if someone should be on medication,” added Mary Jo, a retired nurse. “The earlier you [diagnose] it, the better it is.”