Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Center

Phone: 215-503-1254

Primary care physicians and specialists throughout the Delaware Valley have made Jefferson’s Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Center a major referral center.

The Center provides comprehensive and individualized diagnostic services and therapeutic options to patients with dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, cancer, infections, head trauma or other degenerative central nervous system conditions.

In addition to its clinical programs, the center is involved in a number of basic science research projects that are advancing fundamental knowledge on these dementing disorders while pursuing new methods of treatment.

To further its research, the center even includes a brain bank that receives brains and specimens of brain tissue of deceased donors. (If you or a member of your family is interested in making arrangements now for a future donation to the Brain Bank at Jefferson, call 215-955-6692.)

The center also provides educational programs for patient’s families and caregivers.

Geriatric Psychiatry Inpatient Program
The Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience Geriatric Psychiatry Unit treats elderly patients and a small number of younger patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.  Most of the elderly patients suffer from chronic age-related psychiatric, medical and neurological conditions such as depression, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and accompanying medical disorders.  The Unit is comprised of 18 inpatient beds in a specially designed environment for an elderly disabled population, and is staffed by Jefferson geriatric psychiatrists and geriatricians.  The treatment program is multidisciplinary and includes psychiatry, neurology, internal medicine, nursing, social work, and occupational and creative art therapies.  Each discipline contributes its own specific expertise to create a comprehensive treatment program.  Rodney Pelchat, M.D., is the Medical Director.