MOULTRIE, Ga. – Colquitt Regional is proud to announce the introduction of a new service line, Brain Health Services. The purpose of the program is two-fold – to improve brain performance and stop cognitive decline. Speech Pathology & The Learning Center therapists at the Vereen Center will administer the program.
Brain Health Services has been designed to target older adults who are showing signs of memory and/or cognitive decline, such as dementia, memory loss, etc. The program is made up of several components including dementia risk profiling, dementia risk communication, dementia risk reduction, and cognitive enhancement.
“Research shows that from 2019-2050, the number of people with dementia is expected to almost triple, going from 55 million to 139 million globally,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney. “This projection shows that these services are greatly needed now and will continue to increase in importance over the years. We value this opportunity to play a key role in helping our patients with their cognitive health and being able to provide compassionate care to them.”
Once a patient begins showing signs or symptoms of cognitive decline, the treating physician or provider will administer a brief cognitive assessment. During the test, the patient will be asked questions to help determine whether any memory loss has occurred, then it will be determined if they are appropriate for a referral to Brain Health Services.
When participants enroll in this new service they can expect in-depth testing, traditional cognitive therapy, and a heavily-researched, web-based brain training program called BrainHQ by Posit Science. BrainHQ has more than two dozen brain-training exercises organized into six categories: attention, brain speed, memory, people skills, intelligence, and navigation.
This program can also be utilized as a preventative tool for those who have a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
“We are proud to be the first healthcare organization in the region to develop a program that aims to decrease cognitive decline,” said Director of Speech Pathology & The Learning Center Renee W. Crosby, M.Ed., CCC-SLP. “Overall, through this program, our mission is not only to increase brain performance, but to improve the quality of life of our participants.”
While it can vary, participants are typically in the program for eight to 12 weeks, or until they have demonstrated significant progress. The program may be administered while in clinic or a combination of in office and at home.
To begin with, Brain Health Services will be offered to older adults. In the future, the hope is that the program will be expanded to include school aged children.
“We have a strong track record of implementing needed services that will benefit our community,” said Hospital Authority Chairman Richard E. Turner, Jr. “When we needed radiation therapy for our cancer patients, we opened the radiation oncology unit at Edwards Cancer Center. After several years of planning and seeing the increase in need for psychiatry services, we strategized, and have built inpatient and outpatient geropsychiatry units. I commend Renee and her team for having the foresight to introduce a program that is extremely warranted and one that will greatly benefit our patient base.”
For more information on Brain Health Services, please contact 229-890-3553.
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Caption: Colquitt Regional recently announced the introduction of a new service line, Brain Health Services, which aims to improve brain performance and stop cognitive decline. Speech Pathology & The Learning Center therapists at the Vereen Center will administer the program. Pictured is Speech Pathology & The Learning Center speech pathologist Catie Statom, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, training fellow speech pathologist Savannah Thompson, M.Ed., CF/SLP.
