The Aging Center recently released their “2022 Fact Sheet on Supporting Caregivers and Cognitive Care,” a community resource that provides information and guidance for individuals over 55, their families, caregivers and healthcare providers.
“The UCCS Aging Center is pleased to announce and make available its new community Fact Sheet on Supporting Caregivers and Cognitive Care which advocates for cognitive health and innovative resources for caregivers,” said Lori Rossi, Aging Center Project Director.
The fact sheet shares project findings about the importance of cognitive health in aging adults, UCCS Aging Center’s new Cognitive Care Advocate service and advancing caregiver resiliency through the Caregiver Family Therapy Model by Kraemer Family Professor of Aging Studies and Associate Director of Clinical Training Sara Qualls. It also highlights community partners that are leading efforts in geriatric care and other resources for aging adults, their families and caregivers.
This resource stems from a recent community project identifying barriers to independence in at-risk seniors and is funded by NextFifty Initiative, a Colorado-based foundation that aims to improve quality of life for the aging population. The organization has partnered with UCCS over the last few years by providing funding for various causes, including a two-year grant to expand partnerships between the Aging Center and care organizations and finding ways to improve services for aging adults during COVID.
One such service the center provides is cognitive assessments through the Memory Clinic. This assessment provides a 45- to 60-minute evaluation of cognitive functioning to find out if cognitive abilities seem normal for one’s age, if clear impairment is present, or if further evaluation is needed. Memory screens can be useful in establishing a baseline to compare with follow-up screens or other evaluations. The service is paid on a sliding fee scale.
The Aging Center, established in 1999, is the only mental health center in the Pikes Peak region that exclusively serves older adults, their caregivers and their families. The clinic provides geropsychology services that are hard to access elsewhere, and training opportunities that support cognitive health and advance caregiver resiliency. These specialty services include cognitive screens and assessments, therapy treatments and other resources that you can learn more about in their brochure.
You can view the fact sheet and learn more about the UCCS Aging Center and its interesting 24-year history online.
For hard copies of the fact sheet, contact Lori Rossi.
To help support the Aging Center, you can donate through the CU Foundation.