Central Texas Neurological Association - Waco

11/11/2025

We would like to acknowledge and honor all those who served! Thank you for your service!!! These men and women are the real heroes! 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️ Happy Veteran's Day to our very own Dr. Randy Gardell! 🇱🇷

10/29/2025

A GOOD READ!

'When should I worry about forgetfulness?'

We all forget things sometimes. Whether it’s lost keys, a missed doctor’s appointment, or a name that won’t come to mind, for most of us forgetfulness is just part of the natural process of ageing and everyday life.

Forgetting where you put something, but remembering it later isn’t usually a cause for concern.

Dementia is different. It’s not a normal part of getting older.

So when does forgetfulness become a warning sign of something more serious?

While some forgetfulness is normal, dementia symptoms will affect your daily life and get worse over time.

Memory loss might also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as:

🔵 Difficulty organising thoughts or staying focused
🔵 Confusion with time or place
🔵 Problems with vision
🔵 Problems using words or communicating
🔵 Changes in mood and personality

If you’re worried about yourself or someone else, it’s really important to speak to your GP. It might not be dementia, but if it is then early diagnosis is crucial to manage symptoms, live independently for longer and avoid ending up in a crisis.

And if you’d like more information, support or advice, just call our Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.

10/20/2025

It’s the little things that can make a big difference 💙

Our Dementia Friends programme is an awareness raising initiative aimed at increasing everyone’s understanding of dementia and inspiring them to make little changes in their everyday lives that make a difference for people affected by dementia.

Here are a few little things you can do to show up for people living with dementia:

- Be patient, don’t rush people
- Popping out? Ask a neighbour if they need any shopping
- Take someone’s bins out / help around the home / garden
- Help someone who looks lost out and about
- Wear your Dementia Friends badge to raise awareness
- Phone a friend or loved one who might benefit from a chat
- Pop a card in the post to let someone know you’re thinking of them
- Make time to play someone’s favourite game
- Change patterned tablecloths for plain ones
- Change dark doormats for lighter ones

Which ones have you done this week?

[Image description: A light blue graphic titled 'Dementia Friends checklist' followed by a subheading in smaller font that reads 'How to help people with dementia'. The graphic depicts a white checklist split into two halves, side by side, with bulletpointed tips, which read in the following order from top to bottom: Be patient, don’t rush people; Popping out? Ask a neighbour if they need any shopping; Help someone who looks lost out and about; Phone a friend or loved one who might benefit from a chat; Wear your Dementia Friends badge to raise awareness; Make time to play someone’s favourite game; Change patterned tablecloths for plain ones; Change dark doormats for lighter ones; Pop a card in the post to let someone know you’re thinking of them; and Take someone’s bins out or help around the home & garden.]

10/09/2025

Small changes can make a big difference 💙

People living with dementia may experience the world differently due to damage in the brain. This can lead to changes in perception, including:

Misperceptions – seeing one thing as something else (e.g. mistaking a shadow for a spider)
Misidentifications – confusing people or objects (e.g. thinking a son is their husband)
Hallucinations & Delusions – seeing or believing things that aren’t there
Time-shifting – mixing up past and present.

These experiences can be confusing or distressing for the person and those around them. But with understanding and support, you can help them feel safe and confident.

As explained by our @‌DementiaFriends team, something as simple as swapping a dark coloured mat – which could be mistaken for a hole in the ground – to a light coloured one could be helpful for a person living with dementia.

There are lots of little things you can do to support a person experiencing changes in perception, which might look like:

- Making sure glasses are worn and hearing aids are working (if used)

- Not moving furniture, or changing where things are kept

- Not drawing attention to their mistakes

- Improving lighting levels and reducing visual clutter

- Asking friends and relatives to introduce themselves when they arrive

- Describing the food and drink and where it is on the table

10/09/2025

This may help and might be worth a try....

10/09/2025

10/09/2025

Cold weather reminder ❄️

Colder climes can be tough for people living with dementia – but with the right support, we can help them stay warm, safe, and independent.

Thanks to our Gas Distribution Network partnership, there are several ways to access financial and practical support before the cold weather sets in and things become more urgent.

If you care for someone with dementia, here are just a few actions you can start implementing now to help ensure the coming months are safe, comfortable and affordable:

- Fit & test carbon monoxide alarms regularly
- Get your boiler serviced ahead of winter
- Call our Dementia Support Line for info on local grants for energy costs
- Close curtains at dusk and use draught excluders to keep warmth inside
- Set the thermostat and use timers – aiming for around 18–21°C
- Join the Priority Services Register – a free support service for people living with dementia

[Image description:
A winter-style infographic with a heading that reads: 6 ways to keep someone with dementia safe and warm in winter. Each tip has a small illustration with text underneath that advises the following: setting thermostats and using timers, joining the priority services register, calling our dementia support line, servicing your boiler, testing carbon monoxide alarms, closing curtains and using draught excluders.]

09/11/2025

We will never forget! #9/11

08/29/2025

OFFICE CLOSED
FOR
LABOR DAY 9.1.25

Send a message to learn more

08/28/2025

PLEASE PLEASE remember this!!!!

Every step forward matters.

F(ace) • A(rms) • S(peech) • T(ime)

08/18/2025

There’s no one thing that causes vascular dementia, but there are lots of different things that increase a person’s chances of developing the condition. These are called ‘risk factors’.

This graphic shows a few of the most common risk factors for vascular dementia. This type of dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, so some conditions that affect your heart and brain may also increase your risk of developing vascular dementia.

Some of these risk factors, like ageing, can’t be changed, but others can be avoided through lifestyle choices.

Things you can do to reduce your risk of developing vascular dementia, and other types of dementia, include keeping active, eating healthily and exercising your mind.

And if you’re worried about yourself or someone else - we’re here for you. Just give our Dementia Support Line a call on 0333 150 3456.

07/29/2025

Dementia looks different for everyone, and symptoms will also be different depending on what kind of dementia someone has.

Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies are four of the most common forms of dementia, and they can all affect people differently. This is our guide to a few of the most common symptoms for each illness.

By knowing the signs, we can make sure that we don’t brush off or ignore some of these lesser-known symptoms, to help everyone with dementia get a crucial early diagnosis.

Save this post for later, and if you’d like more info visit our website or give our Dementia Support Line a call on 0333 150 3456.