A few words from Memory Center Charlotte’s new physician, Dr. Aris Chaconas

I watched firsthand as Alzheimer’s disease forced my grandmother to put up a noble fight, and I saw my father-in-law face the same challenges.

When I decided upon neurology as my profession, I knew Alzheimer’s disease would be frequently encountered. Early in my career I discovered that neurologists were very good at diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, but had a disappointingly small toolbox to help patients and their families deal with the everyday reality. Compounding this situation was limited time spent with each patient and the number of patients needing to be seen in a traditional neurology clinic. While the traditional clinic model was appropriate for diagnosing and treating conditions such as headaches and seizures, I realized early on that patients with illnesses such as Alzheimer’s were at a disadvantage, as they require much more time to understand and treat.

Joining Dr. Charles Edwards and his team at the Memory Center Charlotte has been the most rewarding and uplifting change I have made in my career. Dr. Edward’s vision of a clinic model that emphasizes time and attention in the care of individuals with dementia, allows us to be precise in diagnosis and more effective and thorough in considering both medical and non-medical therapies. We are able to identify the needs of and provide support and help to the caregivers, who are so important in the care plan of the patients. Our clinic is committed to being there for patients and their families through the transitions and challenges dementia imposes upon them.

Memory Center Charlotte is poised to rapidly adopt exciting new treatments for dementia that are just over the horizon. This is an important and realistic message of hope for so many affected by Alzheimer’s and related illnesses. I am very excited for our clinic and for the patients and families we serve, because that toolbox I mentioned earlier will soon have therapies long overdue. I cannot think of a more exciting branch of the neurosciences of which to be a part, and I am both proud and grateful to join the Memory Center Charlotte team.