LIHU‘E — Dr. Brett Flynn, a geriatrician, will be flying to Kaua‘i once a month to meet with residents who believe their family members may have Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association announced recently. His next visits will be March 8 and April
LIHU‘E — Dr. Brett Flynn, a geriatrician, will be flying to Kaua‘i once a month to meet with residents who believe their family members may have Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association announced recently.
His next visits will be March 8 and April 19. After that, appointments will be available for the third Friday of the coming months, officials with the Alzheimer’s Association said in a release.
Dr. Flynn will be able to provide an assessment and confirm an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He can provide consultation, counseling, and provide recommendations for treatment and medication to the patient’s primary care physician.
The patient must be accompanied by their family member/caregiver, and no medical records will be necessary, as a questionnaire will be filled out.
To participate, a patient must have a Primary Care Physician and some form of insurance, or assume a consultation fee. Medicare/Medicaid patients need a referral from their doctor. Others are asked to give their physician a courtesy call or email to let them know that they will be seeing Flynn.
The program seeks to provide families with immediate access to both medical specialist and community resources on Kauai, while sparing travel and expense for trips to O‘ahu to see a geriatrician.
While the patient is seeing the doctor, Humberto Blanco, the Kauai Program Coordinator, can acquaint family members with support resources on the island and available through the Alzheimer’s Association, officials said. Currently, the Association’s services for caregivers include support groups, individual consultation, caregiver training, informational services and a movie series.
Physician referrals may contact Connie Moises at Queens Healthcare Centers, 246-4707. Inquiries about caregiver support services or family member inquiries may contact Blanco at the Alzheimer’s Association office, 245-3200.
