PENTICTON, KELOWNA, KAMLOOPS, VANCOUVER – The doctor shortage in BC has been a pressing issue for a number of years now. Waitlists for family doctors seem to only get longer and walk-in clinics are overrun as a result. This problem is hard on everyone in our community, but especially for those in need of assessments and consistent treatment, such as people with memory concerns and problems.
BC’s older population demographics contributes to the growing problem of “not enough doctors” in two ways. On one hand, a large number of doctors have now reached retirement age, and are retiring. On the other hand, as the aging population grows, more people are starting to experience memory issues.
The number of people in our community with memory conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia is increasing. The causes of these conditions are not yet fully understood by medical researchers and we are even further away from understanding and developing a cure. Early awareness and tracking make the best outcomes possible.
People who are struggling with their memory, like everyone else, find it difficult to get an appointment with a doctor. Once they get their appointment, establishing an accurate diagnosis can take a long time. In conditions like Alzheimer’s and Dementia, early detection and intervention is extremely important.
One solution which helps relieve the pressure on local doctors, and for people with memory problems is the Medical Arts Health Research Group’s Memory Clinic. This clinic offers people in Penticton, Kamloops, Vancouver and Kelowna a medical-standard memory assessment. Scores are sent to their doctor to aid in diagnosing memory issues. Follow-up appointments are available 6 months later to track memory changes over time. This gives people who are at the starting stages of a memory condition some concrete baseline data so that if needed, treatment could be started sooner rather than later
If you are worried about your own or a family member’s memory and would like to schedule an assessment; ask your doctor for a referral or go to www.medicalartsresearch.ca/memory-clinic. Fill out the contact form and our Brain Health Team will reach out to you to schedule a Memory Clinic appointment.