Memory Care

If memory loss, confusion or disorientation affects you or someone you know, you may feel anxious about your (and/or their) health and quality of life. Discover possible contributing factors, explore a wide range of care and treatment options, and take advantage of extensive caregiver support resources available through the OU Health Memory Care Clinic in Oklahoma City.

Comprehensive Compassionate Care

At the OU Health Memory Care Clinic, Oklahoma’s first comprehensive memory care service, you benefit from a holistic approach that puts a priority on your physical, emotional and social needs. You and your caregiver or support network will work with an experienced interdisciplinary team of geriatric medicine specialists and related medical experts to accurately diagnose your condition and stage of progression.

Individualized Treatment Plan

During your in-depth evaluation, your OU Health memory care team conducts cognitive assessments and physical exams, along with a review of your family history. In addition to developing a comprehensive diagnosis, you and your team create an individual care plan tailored to your specific situation, which may include options for long-term treatment, as well as extensive support for you and your caregivers.

Memory Disorder Symptoms

You can depend on your OU Health memory care team to thoroughly understand your symptoms as you work together to achieve the best possible results for a variety of memory-related disorders, often called dementia. Different types of dementia may show similar symptoms, such as:

• Experiencing memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion
• Difficulty speaking, understanding and expressing thoughts, or reading and writing
• Wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood
• Trouble handling money responsibly and paying bills
• Repeating questions
• Using unusual words to refer to familiar objects
• Taking longer to complete normal daily tasks
• Losing interest in normal daily activities or events
• Hallucinating or experiencing delusions or paranoia
• Acting impulsively
• Not caring about other people’s feelings
• Losing balance and experiencing problems with movement

Types of Dementia

Dementia encompasses an array of conditions. Symptoms may involve one or more disorders, including:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Vascular dementia
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Lewy body dementia
• Mixed dementia

Memory Care Management, Treatment & Services

Using evidence-based approaches designed to slow the progression of symptoms, foster independence and promote well-being, the personalized, comprehensive care plan you and your OU Health team develop may include a wide range of treatments and services such as:

• Medication management and review of drug interactions that may worsen cognition (thinking)
• Review of memory concerns, cognitive issues or unusual results from cognitive screening tests
• Conversations about goals of care and advance care planning
• Management and care for Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, especially with behavioral symptoms or safety concerns
• Behavioral interventions and cognitive (thinking) activities that help improve function during daily activities
• Caregiver questions about dementia and stresses related to the caregiver role
• Assistance with driving and vehicle-related concerns
• Treatment for depression or mood disorders
• Continuity of care for long-term and ongoing support and guidance
• Access to research studies related to brain health, memory loss or dementia

Caregiver Support

As a caregiver for a loved one with dementia, you face a variety of emotions and challenges in this important and demanding role. In the OU Health Memory Care program, you’ll find people who understand your situation and help you focus on your own well-being.

You also gain access to Longitudinal Caregiver Support Programs that ensure long-term continuity of care through extensive resources such as counseling, support groups and educational workshops. You’ll learn practical strategies to help manage stress, enhance communication and improve quality of life for both you and your loved one.

OU Health is part of the Medicare Guiding an Improved Dementia Care Experience (GUIDE) Model. The GUIDE Model provides a comprehensive care approach, offering 24/7 support line, caregiver training, education, and support services. This helps people with dementia stay safely at home longer, delaying nursing home placement and enhancing the quality of life for both patients and their caregivers.

Related OU Health Services

Rely on OU Health, a nationally designated Age-Friendly Health System, to offer opportunities for you and your memory care specialists to consult with healthcare experts in brain health, memory care and living well, such as:

• Neurosciences — Addresses concerns about brain function, loss of neurons and physical health related to dementia
• Palliative and supportive care — Delivers services to relieve symptoms and the stress of living with any major health condition
• Geriatric medicine or senior primary care — Provides age-appropriate primary care and services designed to support older adults

Dementia Care Resources

Find out more about ongoing developments in research and care for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias when you sign up for email newsletters from local and national sources such as:

• Oklahoma Dementia Care Network – www.OKDCN.org
• National Institute on Aging (NIA) – NIA Email Alert Subscription page
• Alzheimers.gov, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – scroll to bottom of page for email subscription link
• Alzheimer’s Association – www.alz.org

Your Expert Memory Care Team

When you choose the OU Health Memory Care Clinic, you and your loved ones work with a multidisciplinary team of geriatricians and advanced practice providers who hold expertise in cognitive evaluation and management of dementias. Your care team also involves social workers, pharmacists, neuropsychologists and many other specialists. That means you and your caregiver network benefit from access to important memory care information and a wide range of supportive services to assist with memory disorders and related concerns.

Ask your Memory Care team members if you or your loved one may qualify to participate in new or ongoing research studies conducted at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center that focus on brain health, memory loss or dementia.