NEW YORK, May 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) and Kmart Pharmacy have strengthened and expanded their partnership in 2017 as Kmart Pharmacy will conduct free memory screenings in all of their locations throughout the country and Puerto Rico during “Older Americans Month” in May. In addition, just as they did last year, Kmart will again conduct memory screenings in November during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
“We are very pleased that Kmart Pharmacy has agreed to continue our partnership and work together to help people in our community improve their brain health,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and CEO. “Memory screenings are a very important first step in maintaining brain health. By conducting screenings in all of their stores, we are able to reach more people and raise awareness, which in turn, will lead to more people being able to identify if they have memory issues.”
The initiative encourages people to take a proactive approach to brain health. More than 4,500 people were screened across the nation and in Puerto Rico last November in Kmart stores during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
Jennifer Speares, Director of Pharmacy Compliance for Kmart, said that this program continues to emphasize Kmart’s commitment to providing their members better “Care Beyond the Counter.” Speares states, “Kmart Pharmacy is honored to once again work with the Alzheimer’s Foundation this year to help in early detection of Alzheimer’s. The Foundation’s passion to bring awareness to this disease and to improve brain health is contagious. All of our specially trained pharmacists nationwide are pleased to partner with the Foundation to provide these valuable screenings on a walk up basis in any Kmart Pharmacy nationwide.”
Kmart is also a community sponsor for AFA’s 2017 Educating America Tour. In celebrating its 15th anniversary, AFA has embarked on an educational tour this year, across 15 states, with the goal of helping people become more proactive about brain health and memory concerns. Each tour stop will include an educational conference for family and professional caregivers, individuals with dementia, and the community, featuring dementia and caregiving experts, and free, confidential memory screenings.
A memory screening is a simple, non-invasive test consisting of questions and tasks designed to gauge memory, language and thinking skills. A screening is not a diagnosis; however, if a person scores below the normal threshold, he or she will be referred to a primary care physician for a full evaluation. It is important to keep in mind that not all memory problems are indicative of Alzheimer’s disease. Other sources of memory problems include vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues and depression, which are treatable and in some cases, curable.
AFA works with thousands of sites across the country, year-round, to offer screenings. For more information, visit www.nationalmemoryscreening.org. To find a local Kmart Pharmacy, visit www.kmartpharmacy.com.
About Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA):
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,600 member organizations nationwide with the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals living with dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a national, toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, educational conferences and materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, the National Memory Screening program, and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
About Kmart
A subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), Kmart makes shopping fun for everyone. Most recognized for the iconic Bluelight Special and family-friendly in-store events for its customers and Shop Your Way® members, Kmart also boasts ridiculously awesome savings and amazing finds on quality products and exclusive brands including Jaclyn Smith, Adam Levine, Joe Boxer, Route 66 and Smart Sense. In addition to its unique offerings and thrilling deals, Kmart offers a variety of financial services including year-round layaway and leasing options. Kmart Pharmacy also features best-in-class patient care for its members and customers and is ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction. For more information, visit Kmart.com, download the Kmart mobile app or follow the conversation on social with #LifeIsRidiculouslyAwesome.