Alton, Ill. - Area residents are invited to a free community program on Alzheimer's Disease, presented by Joy Webster, M.D., a local Board Certified Psychiatrist, at Saint Clare's Hospital, 915 East Fifth Street on Friday, Feb. 22. Dr. Webster will discuss the early signs of Dementia related to Alzheimer's as opposed to normal aging, as well as current trends for managing dementia-related disorders.

The program will begin at 6 p.m. with a light dinner being served at 5:30 p.m. Free memory screenings by appointment will be provided. To register or to make an appointment, please call 618-465-2264.

The Alzheimer's Association has developed a checklist of common symptoms to help recognize the difference between normal age-related memory changes and possible warning signs of Alzheimer's disease: memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks problems with language, disorientation to time and place, decreased judgment, problems with abstract thinking, misplacing things, changes in mood, behavior or personality, and loss of initiative.