The Memory and Aging Project Satellite (MAPS) of the Washington University
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center was developed to meet the medical, soci
al, and housing needs of minority and medically underserved elders with cog
nitive impairments. MAPS is located in the offices of the St. Louis Area Ag
ency on Aging (AAA). This program provides multidisciplinary outreach, as w
ell as home-based diagnosis, treatment, and case management. It differs fro
m most other satellite programs in that it seeks to provide service to indi
viduals who do not voluntarily seek help for dementia. Cognitively impaired
clients had numerous, unmanaged medical conditions and social problems. Fe
w clients were adequately served by health and social service systems. Desp
ite recent contact, only 10% of clients received a formal diagnosis of deme
ntia from a physician. Treatment was hampered by the absence or limitations
of caregivers. Despite the complexities of these cases, the MAPS staff hav
e been generally successful in addressing client problems.