The Memory Disorders Clinic is part of the University of Miami's Center on Aging and is supported, in part, by the State Florida Department of Elderly Affairs Alzheimer's Disease Initiative (ADI). The center is devoted to high-quality patient care, education of caregivers and health professionals, and pursuit of clinical research aimed at better diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease and related memory disorders.
Evaluation and Diagnostic Services
Patients receive a comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team that includes the following:
- Initial telephone intake interview
- Psychosocial interview
- Neurological, psychiatric, and cognitive assessments
- Diagnostic testing including blood work, brain imaging, and other individualized procedures
- Family conferences to discuss diagnosis, treatment plans, and management strategies
Psychosocial Services and Referrals
In addition to its diagnostic services, the University of Miami Memory Disorders Center provides psychosocial support and referral services to assist patients and their caregivers in dealing with the problem of memory loss and the difficult challenges it brings. These include counseling and psychotherapy to patients, primary caregivers, and other family members via telephone counseling and/or office visits. Referrals to other ADI components such as adult day care, respite care, and the Brain Bank, as well as to support groups, social services agencies, and other health care professionals.
Research
As part of an academic medical center, one of the major components of our program is research. In an effort to enhance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and related memory disorders, the centers faculty and research staff are currently involved in research projects that encompass the biological, clinical, and psychosocial domains. Patients and their families have the opportunity to participate in many of these research studies.
Educational Services
The Memory Disorders Center offers a variety of educational activities for medical students, physicians, other health care professionals through lectures, clinic and inpatient rotations, grand rounds, as well as continuing medical education seminars and conferences. Educational and training sessions for caregivers, social service professionals, and the general public are conducted throughout the year, in both in English and Spanish, as part of the ADI Caregiver Educational Series.
Outreach
The University of Miami Memory Disorders Center is committed to meeting the needs of South Florida's multiethnic and multicultural communities. The center offers training sessions in Spanish, educational materials in Spanish and Creole, and works with various community agencies to promote outreach and education to the Hispanic, African-American, and Haitian communities.
For more information, please contact the Memory Disorders Center at the Center on Aging, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine at 305-355-9065.
Collaboration
The Wein Center for Alzheimers Disease and Memory Disorders, a joint program of Mouth Sinai Medical Center and the University of Miami's Department of Psychiatry, seeks to end Alzheimer's Disease and similar disorders through research, diagnosis, education, and treatment. For more information on this comprehensive approach to Alzheimer's disease click here.
