1 in 10 older adults over 65 in a large survey were found to have cognitive impairment consistent with dementia, reported a formal medical diagnosis of the condition.
Using data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study to develop a nationally representative sample of roughly six million Americans age 65 or older, researchers found that 91 per cent of people with cognitive impairment consistent with dementia told questioners they did not have a formal medical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
“(The discrepancy) was higher than I was expecting,” says co-author Sheria Robinson-Lane, assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.
Many people may have been diagnosed and remain unaware or forgot about their diagnosis. Yet what concerned Ms Robinson-Lane is that cognitive assessment, specifically dementia screening, isn’t routine during annual visits to the doctor for older adults.
“Now more than ever, these routine screenings and assessments are really critical,” she says. “I think it’s particularly important to have some baseline information available to providers of patients over 65.”
Co-author Ryan McGrath, an assistant professor at North Dakota State University, said the migration to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of cognitive checks.
