Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines launched a new mobile memory unit that will offer mobile care services for dementia.
The Mobile Memory and Wellness Clinic will serve as an extension of Broadlawns’ Memory Center and will travel to different neighborhoods and community centers in Polk County.
Dementia is a brain disease that affects an estimated 66,000 Iowans who are 65 or older, according to 2025 data from Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging. The clinic will provide on-site memory evaluations and blood draws for dementia biomarkers. It will also offer educational programs about dementia and resources for caregivers.
Dr. Yogesh Shah, medical director of the Memory Clinic at Broadlawns, said a lot of the patients he sees are from underserved populations, and dementia is twice as likely to affect minority groups.
“There is awareness lack, or not getting enough education, or not believing in the healthcare system, or not having access to come to the hospital system,” Shah said.
Shah said the unit will allow Broadlawns to bring critical care to these communities while also raising awareness of the disease. The first few months will focus on education and outreach in the community before the mobile clinic starts offering services.
He added that 1 in 2 people living with dementia are undiagnosed. Alzheimer's Disease, for instance, is a progressive disease. It can develop in the brain for up to 20 years before symptoms appear. Shah said prevention is critical during that time.
“We don’t have to wait for dementia to become moderate or severe. It doesn’t have to be like what I saw in my mom, or grandma, or aunt or uncle,” he said.
Shah said the mobile clinic brings a more proactive approach to dementia by making preventative care and early detection an option for community members who otherwise can’t access traditional care. He said people who might be living undiagnosed with dementia now have the chance to be properly evaluated and diagnosed.
Once the clinic starts seeing patients, it will return to the locations every few weeks so medical staff can follow up with people about their results and what their options are.
When the unit isn’t being used for dementia care, it will serve as a general wellness clinic, offering vaccinations and wellness screenings.
