Credit: Jade McKnight
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease will not lead to a prescription for a “miracle cure,” but older adults with memory problems still need to see a specialist to avoid preventable issues.
Dr. Jason Karlawish, co-director of the Penn Memory Center, gave the keynote address Saturday at “Alzheimer’s: The New Normal,” a conversation on cognitive aging, Alzheimer’s disease, research, and caregiving.
“I don’t have a miracle cure,” he said. “I don’t even have a drug for Alzheimer’s that can dramatically slow the course of the disease. You’re right. But what I can tell you is that if you don’t understand where you’re at and what to expect in the future, you, the person with Alzheimer’s disease, are a setup for a series of disasters,” including financial exploitation, hospitalization, and communication issues with patients’ families.
Watch a portion of his speech below: