Georgia Memory Net offers telehealth options for diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias

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Georgia Memory Net, the statewide program dedicated to earlier diagnosis and customized care plans for Georgians living with Alzheimer’s, is implementing multiple telehealth options to help Georgians access diagnostic services around the state.

In years past, Georgians in need of an Alzheimer’s or related dementia diagnosis had to travel to a metropolitan area like Atlanta or Augusta to get a diagnosis from a specialized neurology practice. The waits for an appointment could be as long as 18 months. That long wait is one of the reasons why Georgia Memory Net (GMN) was created. One of GMN’s goals is to make quality dementia diagnoses available to all Georgians, no matter where they live in the state.

Part of this effort includes launching telehealth options for dementia diagnostic appointments. Telehealth appointments allow patients who can’t make it to one of GMN’s Memory Assessment Clinics for any reason to receive diagnosis much closer to home via technology. Each of GMN’s five Memory Assessment Clinics can provide telehealth diagnostic appointments for patients at home via telehealth, and now GMN is launching a new hybrid telehealth model.

“Our new telemedicine partnership with the Georgia Department of Health is a meaningful step for our organization in eliminating barriers to care for individuals with memory loss and other symptoms of cognitive impairment,” said Kyle Brunen, Georgia Memory Net’s Project Director. “These telemedicine locations in Dooly and Emanuel counties are the first, with more to come, and provide the necessary technology, connectivity, and clinical staff to deliver a first-class cognitive assessment closer to a patient’s home.”

While some telehealth options require a patient to log in to a device in their home, Georgia Memory Net’s new telehealth sites take place in a clinical setting that is close to home. There, staff can help the patient log in to their appointment, and support them in any other way needed during the diagnosis. These assisted sessions are currently being offered at the Dooly County Health Department in Vienna, and the Emanuel County Health Department in Swainsboro.

More information on Georgia memory Net, and how to get a referral, is available at https://gamemorynet.org/patient/patient-referrals/.

About Georgia Memory Net: Georgia Memory Net is a statewide program dedicated to earlier diagnosis and customized care plans for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The program is a collaborative supported by Georgia Department of Human Services, managed centrally by the Emory Brain Health Center, and comprised of healthcare organizations statewide, community services partners specializing in dementia support, and the Georgia Division of Aging Services / Area Agencies on Aging network. The program’s website is www.GaMemorynet.org.