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FiFtEENtH NatiONal CONFERENCE
HEART
Y UR BRAIN
TO REGISTER AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE HEART YOUR BRAIN CHALLENGE,
VISIT WWW.YOURBRAINMATTERS.ORG.AU/CHALLENGE.
THE HEART YOUR BRAIN
CHALLENGE ENCOURAGES
AUSTRALIANS TO START A
NEW ACTIVITY TO LOOK AFTER
THEIR BRAINS, BODIES AND
HEARTS FROM 11 ­ 31 MARCH.
It could be a cooking course. It could be a language class. It could be a dance lesson.
It could be a fitness boot camp.
BRAIN
BODY
HEART
Start a weekly Book Club
Take a drama class
Learn to play an instrument
Do a jigsaw puzzle or start a
game of chess
Visit a museum or gallery
Join the gym
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Ride your bike to work
Start a weekly dance class
Eat two serves of fruit and five
serves of vegetables each day
See your GP for a health check
Quit smoking
Manage your blood sugar
levels
Manage your body weight
Manage your blood pressure
and cholesterol
Challengers will pledge a commitment to their brain health at
www.yourbrainmatters.org.au/Challenge
and spend the next 21 days
enjoying their new experience with the added comfort of knowing
they are taking positive steps toward brain health.
PARTICIPATION
IS SIMPLE
ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE? HEART YOUR BRAIN AND MAKE
ONE OR MORE OF THESE SUGGESTIONS PART OF YOUR LIFESTYLE:
ALZHEIMER'S
AUSTRALIA
TAKE ON
CHALLENGE
21 DAYS TO BRAIN HEALTHY HABITS
assessment and treatment of memory loss
The importance
of early detection
An early diagnosis of dementia can make all the difference.
Early detection and recognition of dementia enables
more timely access to treatment and social support as
well as enabling people with dementia, their families
and clinicians to plan for the future. It provides people
with a timely opportunity to learn about their condition,
understand changes as they occur and cope with day to
day issues of cognitive impairment.
While mild slowing in memory and thinking is normal
as people age, if the changes are becoming progressively
more obvious and are beginning to impact on everyday
life, an assessment of memory and early intervention is
warranted.
Common Symptoms
to look for
Symptoms of memory loss that would indicate a need for
assessment and intervention include:
· Repeated questions and answers
· Frequently losing items and forgetting appointments
· Becoming lost while driving
· Regular problems finding words during conversations
or understanding what is being said
· Reduced ability in doing well known tasks
· Feeling overwhelmed or confused by new situations
· Emotional or personality changes
Causes
of Memory Loss
While memory loss may be associated with dementia,
there are a number of other causes of memory loss.
A comprehensive assessment is essential to determine
the cause and develop an appropriate treatment regime.
Causes of memory loss include:
· Anxiety/stress/depression
· Dementia of any type (eg; alzheimers disease)
· Medical reasons (stroke high blood pressure,
liver disease, thyroid problems, etc)
· Neurological disorders
· Drug and alcohol use
· Side effects of medication
· Vitamin deficiency
Accurate diagnosis is important as some of these
conditions will resolve with appropriate treatment.
tas
memory
clinic
tasmemoryclinic is a specialist, diagnostic and treatment
service to assess mental and cognitive impairment, provide
an accurate diagnosis and develop an ongoing treatment
plan. tasmemoryclinic provides:
An initial consultation consisting of expert clinical
assessment and cognitive testing followed by a further
consultation to review the results with the patient and
family/carer and develop a management plan.
Follow up care and treatment will include:
· Group Program for those with early stage dementia that
focusses on reducing factors associated with memory
loss such as, anxiety, stress, depression, motivation and
self esteem and assists in the development of skills to
overcome memory difficulties.
· Treatment for depression and/or anxiety
· Outpatient Care ­ individual consultations with the
Consultant Psychiatrist or Geriatrician
· Education and support for families
· Referrals to other specialists and services
The Tasmanian Memory Clinic has a multidisciplinary
team approach and is staffed by Old Aged Psychiatrists,
Geriatrician, Mental Health Nurses and Clinical
Psychologists.
Further information about the tasmemoryclinic is available
from www.tasmemoryclinic.com.au or by phoning
03 6247 9960 or fax 03 6247 6439.
A GP referral is required to access tasmemoryclinic
and private health insurance generally covers the cost
of services.
There are currently over 321,600 Australians living with dementia. It is estimated that as the population ages,
this number will grow to almost 900,000 by 2050 substantially increasing the financial and social burdens of
this disorder. It is the third leading cause of death in Australia and the single greatest cause of disability in older
Australians (aged 65+ years). One in four people over the age of 85 have dementia.
The Tasmanian Memory Clinic and The Hobart Clinic
are part of the Hobart Clinic Association