A memory clinic in every town - do we need it?

[Rosalind]

My husband has had vascular dementia, and possibly Alzheimers, diagnosed 7 years ago but having shown symptoms for quite a while before that.

But what, I ask myself, would have been the benefit of an earlier diagnosis, as is being put forward as a wonderful thing in today's announcement?

When, after a long wait for a memory clinic appointment it was agreed that his memory was not what it should be, I in my ignorance said to the consultant that now this had been established I hoped steps could be taken to stop it getting any worse (ignoramus that I was at that point). The fathead consultant said 'That's what we're here for', which I understood meant yes, decline would be halted, etc.

But the trouble is dementia cannot be halted. My husband is now in a nursing home, well looked after but unutterably miserable and confused, despite being pumped full of drugs. If he had been diagnosed earlier, what good would that have done? If it had been me, I might have researched the condition and then killed myself, but he is terrified of death so even that escape route would not have been open to him.

I can see the point in spending money on research, and support services for both patients and carers, but until there are effective treatments what is the point in early diagnosis, or am I missing something?

Rosalind

 

[TED]

hi

Feel very much as you do reading that, and funny enough (or not) Dad and I said pretty much the same thing yesterday. Nice Idea, but how would it help, and why just have one for Alzheimers - wouldnt a special Cancer advice centre be more beneficial so why stop there have one for Diabeties etc.

All you can hope for with an early diagnosis is to get the help/support in place and plan ahead for the next stages as they occur.

they should put this money/effort into general health care and have more walk in centres / clinics that arent being full up of people with headaches or minor complaints.

I look after my Dad as much as caring for Mum, at 75 I hope he has a good few years left in him. Im approaching 40 myself later this year, so if Dad and I can do another 10 years I think at 50 I'll pop over to Switzerland and call it quits.

Have a good week
TED

 

[jenniferpa]

Rosalind - have you looked at this thread http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/talkingpoint/discuss/showthread.php?t=14581?

Particularly Ken's post #12

 

[Tender Face]

All you can hope for with an early diagnosis is to get the help/support in place and plan ahead for the next stages as they occur.

That I would call near Utopia - and if that is what we are striving for ... then thankfully we seem to have finally found a first foothold ......

Oh, to have had the awareness to pursue an early diagnosis for my mother years earlier ..... to have not battled through the last few years with 'knee jerk' reactions to the latest crisis ...... and the wonderful benefit of hindsight ....

Karen, x

 

[susiesue]

.
But what, I ask myself, would have been the benefit of an earlier diagnosis, as is being put forward as a wonderful thing in today's announcement?

I can see the point in spending money on research, and support services for both patients and carers, but until there are effective treatments what is the point in early diagnosis, or am I missing something?

My sentiments entirely! - I fail to see what the benefit of an earlier diagnosis is - after two years we are still waiting for a 'definite' not 'probable' diagnosis - even if it was definite what would we gain from that!

As for Memory Clinics - we have been visiting one for the last two years and quite frankly I do not think they have any more idea of what's happening than I do. Each time we visit they give my husband the same test plus a follow up prescription for more Aricept.

I totally agree with you and the money should be spent on research into this vile disease and more help for carers.

I feel better now!!!!

 

[Vonny]

We have a memory clinic here, and my mum was diagnosed while medication could still slow the disease. However, given my mum's nature, the meds did more harm than good. They made her feel sick, they gave her a tummy ache, they made her feel ill (unspecified complaint when she couldn't think of anything else!), and we had to stop trying to administer the meds. A year on, when she was unable to make any decision about what she's given, the memory clinic said that the disease was too advanced for medication.
I'm sure there are cases where early diagnosis and treatment is appropriate, but given that the disease cannot be cured, I agree with the posts saying the money would be better spent on care.
However, I truly hope the measures they're taking helps some families in the early stages of the disease. For those of us battling with the mid to late stages, we'll just have to wait for that miracle to come along.

 

[Margaret W]

Memory clinics are a laugh! A person can have a reasonably good memory but still not know if it is night or day. Knowing who the Prime Minsister was, or being able to count backwards at 7 per stage didn't stop my mum going out for a bus at 3 a.m. Fortunately, living in a quiet rural area, she wasn't at much risk of mugging or worse. But she was still distressed. I'd probably fail a memory clinic test myself right now, am tired, distressed etc. but I won't be going for a bus at 3 a.m.

Love to all

Margaret

 

[TED]

That I would call near Utopia - and if that is what we are striving for ... then thankfully we seem to have finally found a first foothold ......

Oh, to have had the awareness to pursue an early diagnosis for my mother years earlier ..... to have not battled through the last few years with 'knee jerk' reactions to the latest crisis ...... and the wonderful benefit of hindsight ....

Karen, x

Utopia maybe, but it's all we did with the help we were given, not easy but very time consuming waiting for Dr's/Specialists/Council Services to agree

 

[Softy]

I have to disagree here my dad was involved in a drugs test at a memory clinic and was given Aricept 13 years ago we had 10 good years with him. The staff at the clinic were fantastic and gave my Mum & I loads of support and information. Our GP's are just not qualified to help with these problems to staff at a memory clinic are. Maybe we were lucky but our memory clinic was a lifeline.