Waukesha County health officials are encouraging adults of all ages to get free memory screenings as the county faces a growing number of dementia cases. The Waukesha County Health Department received 2,000 calls related to dementia last year alone.
John LaRose, 75, recently received his first memory screening at the Waukesha County Health Department, prompted by some concerns about his cognitive health.
READ: Family's personal experience inspires creation of Sheboygan County dementia village
"There are some things that I noticed that are a little different," LaRose said. "Most things come back to me right away but a lot of things I think about and a minute or two later I can't remember.”
His daughter, Lisa Kwiat who works for the health department, encouraged him to get tested to establish a baseline understanding of his cognitive health.
"I think it is important that he just have a baseline knowledge of maybe where he is at cognitively," Kwiat said.
Waukesha County has the third oldest population in Wisconsin and is seeing an increasing number of dementia cases, including a concerning rise in younger-onset dementia in people under 65.
Kathy Jeans Glaser, a dementia care specialist with the county, welcomes people like LaRose coming in for screenings.
WATCH: Daughter of Waukesha memory screening recipient touts value of baseline testing
"Kind of like a blood pressure check gives us information on where we are at in a scale. A memory screen gives you information on where you are to your peers," Glaser said.
Health officials are particularly concerned about the increase in younger-onset dementia cases, which is why they're now recommending screenings for people in their 30s and 40s.
"We are hearing from researching that 20 years before people are having symptoms they are having changing. So we want to look at those modifiable risk factors way earlier in life," Glaser said.
TMJ4 Reporter Rebecca Klopf took the test and received a perfect score, but the specialists still provided recommendations to help her maintain her memory health, such as getting more sleep. Kwiat says she hopes they can recommend some proactive steps for her dad to take as well.
"It is good for him to possibly take action to prevent further memory loss, if possible," Kwiat said about her father's screening.
Free memory screenings are available at the Waukesha County Health Department during regular business hours. They recommend you call ahead at 262-548-7354 to schedule a screening.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
