Benefit spotlight New Alliance benefit! Cognitive Health Assessment Cognitive health means how well you think, learn and remember. Alliance members 65 years of age and older can now get a cognitive health assessment every year. A cognitive health assessment can be done at your doctor’s office. During the assessment, the doctor will ask questions about signs or symptoms of memory loss or dementia. Signs of dementia can include: ■ Having trouble naming items or naming close family members. ■ Repeating questions or stories. ■ Misplacing items often. ■ Getting confused or getting lost. Dementia is not a normal part of aging. People with dementia have brain changes that get in the way of daily life. These can include problems with memory, thinking and reasoning. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. It is important to find early signs of dementia. This allows patients to get treatments and support services. If you are 65 years of age or older, you can ask your doctor about this assessment. The doctor also might ask you about any signs or symptoms of memory loss during your regular checkups. Community CORNER Summer food resources Feeding your family can be more expensive with the kids out of school. You may be able to get help with healthy food for your family from: ■ Your local food bank. ■ CalFresh. ■ Your child’s school district. Local food banks can provide fresh food and help you enroll in CalFresh. Merced County Food Bank 209-726-3663 In Merced County, you can also visit: Merced Lao Family Community, Inc. 209-384-7384 Catholic Charities 209-383-2494 The People’s Pantry 209-769-3231 Food Bank for Monterey County 831-758-1523 Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County Community Food Hotline 831-662-0991 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CalFresh CalFresh can help with your household food budget. You can find information about how to apply to CalFresh at www.cdss.ca.gov/ food-nutrition/calfresh. Summer lunches from school districts Contact your local school district to learn more about what is available. Living Healthy 2
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