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West Bend Clinic offering dementia compassion and care for families through Memory Assessment Center
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By Andrew Kuehl
akuehl@kewaskumstatesman.com
11/1/07 WEST BEND- Forgetting where you left your car keys or where your reading glasses are can be frustrating. Forgetting you left something cooking on the stove or what medication you took can be life threatening. For even the smallest hint of dementia West Bend Clinic’s Memory Assessment Center can provide care and guidance to families at any stage of dementia.
Dr. Larry Sullivan is a board certified neurologist who oversees the Memory Assessment Center. He is affiliated with the Dementia Clinic Network based out of Madison’s University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI). The standards of care and practices of the over 30-clinic network are used by the Memory Assessment Center.
According to the network’s website, The Dementia Clinic Network was organized to improve access to and quality of dementia diagnostic services, the WAI and local partners have developed a network of interdisciplinary clinics. Clinics continue to be developed with a strong focus on development in rural areas. The Network clinics provide diagnosis to thousands of new and existing patients and families affected by Alzheimer’s Disease annually.
This network of clinics serves as a model of University and community collaboration to promote early diagnosis and treatment of people with Alzheimer’s Disease. These interdisciplinary teams receive training at the UW Memory Assessment Clinic in Madison.
For Dr. Sullivan, caring for those suffering with any form of dementia is personal. He explains that his mother and grandmother have both suffered from the disease. “I wanted a local support network for families,” he explains.
Before visiting the Memory Assessment Center, families along with their loved one need to recognize a problem which can take time. Dr. Sullivan advises that assertiveness is key. “Often the children need to become the parents and do what is best for the patient,” he states.
Dr. Sullivan reports that 99.9 percent people with memory problem are referred to the Memory Assessment Center by family or friends. He points out that if a family member is concerned a loved ones memory, it’s much more significant than if the individual person complains about memory.
Families coming to the Memory Assessment Center can expect to receive comprehensive diagnoses when they visit the clinic. While the patient undergoes a number of cognitive tests, the family meets with a social worker, where they discuss the patient's history and concerns presented by the patient's family.
After all tests have concluded, the team, patient and family meets together to discuss the case with Dr. Sullivan. Dr. Sullivan gives the patient a diagnoses and care plan. The family ends their visit by meeting with a representative of The Alzheimer's Association of Southeastern Wisconsin and given resource booklet with services available in Washington County.
The first method of treatment puts the patient in a safe environment and making sure all medications are received. Family involvement is crucial according to Dr. Sullivan. He also encourages his patients to use their mind and get plenty of physical exercise. “Stay engaged in everyday life, people tend to withdraw from that because of side effects of the disease,” he explains.
Medications are available that can slow the progression of the disease. The most popular three on the market have mild differences. Those three, Aericept, Razadyne and Exelon are usually taken once a day. As the disease progresses, Dr. Sullivan says he introduces a drug called Namenda.
Follow up check-ups are made throughout the year. These appointments allow Dr. Sullivan and his medical team to follow a patient's progression. It also include evaluation for any behavioral issues that may arise due to the high rate of depression in Alzheimer’s Disease patients.
Dr. Sullivan explains that depression is treated separately. On average, 30 percent of those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease will also be diagnosed with clinical depression.
The Memory Assessment Center has been in operation the last five years at the West Bend Clinic. Dr. Sullivan has been practicing at the clinic the last 10 years. “It has been a unique service, and not available at most places. It is an important service for those who want to take advantage. It's a bargain, we just charge evaluation costs, Alzheimer’s Institute and social services are all donated,” Dr. Sullivan concluded.
For more information, contact The Memory Assessment Center at (262) 334-3451 or 1-800-825-0513.
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