ANN ARBOR, Mich. (University of Michigan) — More than 6 million Americans have dementia, a condition that affects memory, thinking and social abilities. Dementia cases are expected to rise significantly in the coming years.
A study led by the University of Michigan reveals a major gap in awareness of the condition.
In fact, researchers found that more than three-quarters of older adults with dementia may be unaware of their diagnosis. That number jumps to 85% among Mexican Americans, who make up the largest share of the U.S. Hispanic and Latino population.
The neurologist who led the study emphasizes that a dementia diagnosis is crucial for individuals to receive the care they need.
“It's really important for patients and caregivers to know whether a diagnosis of dementia is present and receive that diagnosis from a healthcare provider. This enables the patient and caregiver to get important community services, like services that help with activities of daily living at home, legal services such as power of attorney, respite care for the caregiver, and many other services,” says Dr. Lewis Morgenstern, professor of neurology and epidemiology at the University of Michigan.
Not receiving a diagnosis also limits a person’s ability to access the growing number of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Morgenstern says, in some cases, doctors may not share a diagnosis with the patient due to the stigma surrounding the disease. In other cases, the provider may not make a diagnosis at all.
“There are many reasons why a physician may not make the diagnosis. It's possible that the physician has not been trained in making the diagnosis. They don't have readily available scales to use, although there are many scales that are available, and they only take a few minutes to employ. The other part is that physicians don't have enough time to spend with patients these days, and they focus on other parts of the examination,” adds Dr. Morgenstern.
Morgenstern stresses that doctors should make dementia evaluations a routine part of their practice, similar to screening for conditions like cancer and heart disease.
