Please note that the William James INTERFACE Referral Service will be operating on a limited schedule to allow our staff to enjoy the holidays. The INTERFACE Referral Service will be open with limited staffing on Monday, 12/23/24, Friday, 12/27/24, and on Monday, 12/30/24. All calls will be returned during these times.

The INTERFACE Referral Service will re-open for our typical hours on Thursday, January 2nd, 2025. We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

We at the William James College INTERFACE Referral Service are keenly aware of the shortage of mental health providers of color and how racial inequities exist in medical and mental health care. The College’s Black Mental Health Academy, Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health, and other programs and academic offerings are playing a critical role in reversing this trend. We invite you to read a statement from our Black Mental Health Graduate Academy Scholars, and to stand with us as allies to drive change and address systemic racism.

Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

 

At INTERFACE Referral Service, we focus on connecting members of our communities with mental health providers. We also value the importance of learning about the mental health conditions that may be affecting your thinking, feeling, behavior, or mood.

Therefore, we have created "Mental Health Topic Pages". The majority of our topic pages will direct you to Network of Care Massachusetts! Network of Care Massachusetts has a library database of over 30,000 fact sheets and articles. Topics on behavioral health issues are written by leading experts and organizations in their fields.

WHAT IS DEMENTIA?

We all forget things as we get older. Many older people have a slight loss of memory that does not affect their daily lives. But memory loss that gets worse may mean that you have dementia.

Dementia is a loss of mental skills that affects your daily life. It can cause problems with your memory and how well you can think and plan. Usually dementia gets worse over time. How long this takes is different for each person. Some people stay the same for years. Others lose skills quickly.

Your chances of having dementia rise as you get older. But this doesn't mean that everyone will get it.

If you or a loved one has memory loss that is getting worse, see your doctor. It may be nothing to worry about. If it is dementia, treatment may help.

Source: Network of Care Massachusetts

 

To learn more, visit these Network of Care Resources:

Dementia: Support for Caregivers

Dementia: Tips for Communicating

Dementia: Understanding Behavior Changes

Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

 

WHAT IS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE?

Alzheimer's disease damages the brain. It causes a steady loss of memory and of how well you can speak, think, and do your daily activities.

Alzheimer's disease gets worse over time, but how quickly this happens varies. Some people lose the ability to do daily activities in the first few years. Others may do fairly well until much later in the disease.

Mild memory loss is common in people older than 60. It may not mean that you have Alzheimer's disease. But if your memory is getting worse, see your doctor. If it is Alzheimer's, treatment may help.

Source: Network of Care Massachusetts

 

To learn more, visit these Network of Care Resources:

Agitation and Dementia

Alzheimer's Disease

 

Also available is the INTERFACE Referral Service Guide: https://interface.williamjames.edu/guide/guide-resources-older-adults-family-members-and-caregivers