Caring for our Region
The Albany Med Health System offers the highest level care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. This includes diagnosis, treatment options, and resources for patients and families.
Centers of Excellence
The New York State Department of Health named the Alzheimer's Center at Albany Medical Center a Center of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease (CEAD).
Albany Medical Center's CEAD serves Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie counties. While it primarily serves these counties, the CEAD is not limited to serving only these counties.
Glens Falls Hospital is also a designated Center of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease. For more information on services there, go to the Glens Falls Hospital Center of Excellence.
Center of Excellence at Albany Medical Center
As a Center of Excellence, we are a comprehensive resource for the health care community, providing diagnostic and consultative services to primary care providers in making initial assessment of patients, development of comprehensive care plans, assistance with the management of complex patient situations, and referrals of patients to specialty care.
Dementia refers to a group of conditions in which there is a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive functions. Dementia is not a disease; it is a symptom of an underlying brain disorder. There are many possible causes of dementia, some of which can be eliminated with proper diagnosis and treatment, particularly if the cause is found promptly. Other forms of dementia may be managed with specific treatments.
Conditions we treat include:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Lewy body dementia
- Parkinson's disease
- Vascular dementia
- Normal pressure hydrocephalus
- Wenicke-Korsakoff syndrome
- Huntington's disease
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
All referrals go through the Referral Coordinator Unit at Albany Medical Center.
- Primary care physicians can fax medical records, MRIs/CTs and lab work to 518-264-0902.
- Make sure the fax sheet indicates who the referral coordinator's office should contact to schedule the new patient appointment.
- Physicians can call the referral coordinators at 518-264-0901.
- Patients and caregivers can call The Alzheimer's Center at 518-262-0800 to check if their information has been received. When your appointment has been scheduled, please request a patient information packet, which should be completed prior to your appointment.
New Patient Visit
- Please complete a patient information packet before your appointment. Call us at 518-262-0800 or email us at [email protected] to request a packet.
- The assessment of a new patient requires approximately an hour-and-a-half.
- A caregiver or family member who knows the patient is highly encouraged to attend the appointment. They have an important role during the initial evaluation.
- Any tests that have been previously performed will be reviewed (blood tests, neuropsychological testing, CT, MRI, or a PET scan).
Cognitive Testing
We use "paper and pencil" tests, oral questions, sensory, and other measures to assess memory, language, perceptions, and concentration.
History
Patients undergo a full neurological exam. The team collects background information about past and present symptoms. The caregiver is welcome to meet with the physician or staff separately to discuss their observations.
Results & Diagnosis
We will review our findings with patients and families. Additional testing may be necessary (for example, brain imaging or further neuropsychological testing) and will be done separately.
To contact us, call 518-262-0800. You also can email us at [email protected].
It is the patient's responsibility to obtain a referral which is needed at the time of the visit. We will work with you to obtain a referral. However, if your referral is not current at the time of your visit, you will be required to sign a waiver and you will be responsible for the bill.
We see patients at two locations: Albany Medical Center and Clifton Park. Information on both locations can be found in the Get Care section this page.
