Diagnosis without CT scan

[Alibaba80]

My Mum was referred to a Memory clinic a few months ago and has scored 56/100 on the memory test. She has had an appointment through for the CT scan but is really not happy about going. She wants me to go with her but a live a long way away and can't visit that week. I have suggested that she rings to rearrange the appointment but I'm not convinced she'll remember to do so.
Is it vital to have a CT scan to get a diagnosis? I'm not sure that even if she went to the hospital she'd have the scan.
I'm feeling exhausted by the whole thing. I desperately want to have a diagnosis because Mum's memory is getting worse and she is in denial as are the rest of the family. I am trying to support her from a far but I'm on the verge of giving up. Social services won't do anything because she's able to cook, wash and dress herself but Mum won't agree to me arranging for her to have some home help because she does no housework or gardening. Her license has been revoked and she is refusing to use public transport. She told me this morning that she has nothing left to live for and may as well be dead.

 

[LadyA]

Hi Alibaba. It must be very hard, trying to be a long distance carer.

Could you contact whoever arranged the appointment, and explain the situation? Maybe then you'd have an idea about whether it can be postponed. To be honest, my own mum doesn't have dementia - she's elderly and quite frail and has various health problems- but I don't let her go to hospital appointments on her own anymore, and she wouldn't want to go alone anyway. As I said, she doesn't have dementia - but she is a bit more forgetful than she was, and loses her concentration more easily. She feels herself she likes to have someone along for moral support!

 

[love.dad.but..]

My mum died suddenly at home, dad who clearly had dementia starting over the previous year was alone overnight with her until we arrived to find her for her birthday lunch. Obviously for such a traumatic period we had a lot of input for dad from his GP the trauma accelerated his decline. His vascular history pointed towards vascular dementia. We his family, his GP, Mental Health team who only became involved after mums death all felt he could not have coped in his by then moderate stage to have a ct scan and it would not be kind to put him through it, even if he would have been compliant which was doubtful. He did a few cognitive tests which made it very clear he did not have much understanding. So...a diagnosis was made that given his history of heart problems he had mixed dementia...most probably vascular and Alzheimer's.

 

[Alibaba80]

Thanks for your replies. I might contact the memory clinic to see what they advise. Out of interest what did your Dad score on the test? 56 out of 100 seems bad but the result said this meant she only had mild cognitive impairment.

 

[love.dad.but..]

Thanks for your replies. I might contact the memory clinic to see what they advise. Out of interest what did your Dad score on the test? 56 out of 100 seems bad but the result said this meant she only had mild cognitive impairment.

His understanding had declined in a very short period of time because of the trauma that he didn't answer most of the questions so didn't manage to achieve a meaningful score

 

[pippop1]

My MIL didn't have a scan for diagnoses.

We asked at her memory clinic appointment if it would make any difference to medication or treatment and they said it wouldn't.

We therefore didn't want to put her through the trauma of a scan. She did have blood tests done though.