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Phoenix homeless shelter begins screening older clients for dementia

A 57-year-old resident of Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) emergency shelter in downtown Phoenix completes a section of the MoCA that asks him to duplicate a drawing. (Tim Agne/KJZZ)
A 57-year-old resident of Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) emergency shelter in downtown Phoenix completes a section of the MoCA that asks him to duplicate a drawing. (Tim Agne/KJZZ)

Older adults are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population in the U.S. In September a 600-bed shelter in Phoenix, Arizona, started screening clients older than 55 for cognitive impairment. The results were startling.

Kathy Ritchie of KJZZ reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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