The CADCs are exemplars of model clinical care, benefiting the patients and their families, and the residents and students receiving training.

Multidisciplinary Care

The patients receive an extensive assessment from an multidisciplinary clinical team that includes specialists from a wide-variety of disciplines who are available to participate in a patient's evaluation: neurology, neuropsychology, geriatrics, geropsychiatry, pharmacy, nursing, social work and speech pathology. The input of the caregiver is sought in every case. Because memory loss and other related symptoms are often multi-factorial and complex, a multidisciplinary and comprehensive evaluation is necessary for most patients. This comprehensive evaluation determines the cause or causes of the patient's symptoms, leading to treatment recommendations.

After the initial evaluation, the multidisciplinary team involved with each case hold a conference during which they discuss the diagnosis and potential treatments. Following this conference, the clinical team discuss their findings with the patient and the family.

Diagnostic Expertise

The centers specialize in the diagnosis of patients with mild symptoms, the identification of specialized sub-populations among those with dementia, and the diagnosis of complex dementia cases referred from the community. The CADCs have been leaders in developing and applying innovations and technologies to enhance the detection and management of dementia, such as, novel imaging methods and new cognitive assessment instruments.

These activities have impacted and helped thousands of patients and families in California.