Dementia diagnosis
- Thread starter Jules22
- Start date
Hello and welcome.
Getting a diagnosis can help in a number of ways mainly that medication can help at least slow the progression.
Getting a diagnosis also got what was the Disability Living Allowance and I got carers allowance too.
Her diagnosis meant for Council Tax purposes she was a mandatory disregard, so I got a 25% discount as I was treated as living alone.
Money aside it put her on the radar and people from the mental health team to visit at home rather than us go to them.
Hope that helps. K
Getting a diagnosis can help in a number of ways mainly that medication can help at least slow the progression.
Getting a diagnosis also got what was the Disability Living Allowance and I got carers allowance too.
Her diagnosis meant for Council Tax purposes she was a mandatory disregard, so I got a 25% discount as I was treated as living alone.
Money aside it put her on the radar and people from the mental health team to visit at home rather than us go to them.
Hope that helps. K
Hello @Jules22 and firstly welcome to this friendly and supportive forum. There is lots of shared experience of dementia to be found here, and members really do want to help.
I am sorry to read about your Mom. There certainly can be benefits, as has already been suggested, about getting a diagnosis. Principally, the type of dementia may dictate what sort of medication may help, and that help is generally slowing down the progression.
I am guessing by your terminology, you are not in the UK?, where this forum is based. That doesn't matter at all; dementia knows no boundaries of borders or countries. Getting a diagnosis, can also help perhaps with getting benefits, but that would depend on your country's system.
I am sorry to read about your Mom. There certainly can be benefits, as has already been suggested, about getting a diagnosis. Principally, the type of dementia may dictate what sort of medication may help, and that help is generally slowing down the progression.
I am guessing by your terminology, you are not in the UK?, where this forum is based. That doesn't matter at all; dementia knows no boundaries of borders or countries. Getting a diagnosis, can also help perhaps with getting benefits, but that would depend on your country's system.
I’m not sure what you mean by my terminology leads you to believe that I’m from outside the UK?
Anyway I am in the UK and I have tried to get her seen by the memory clinic but when they call her to make an appointment she refuses to agree to it. So I’m at a loss as to what to do next. She already gets attendance allowance and I get carer’s allowance. I have done my research and feel that she has frontal lobe dementia and this has been progressing for some time but the deterioration has escalated over the last 6 months. For example she didn’t know how to physically get into the bath today and I had to talk her through where to put her hands and legs to get onto the bath lift safely.
Anyway I am in the UK and I have tried to get her seen by the memory clinic but when they call her to make an appointment she refuses to agree to it. So I’m at a loss as to what to do next. She already gets attendance allowance and I get carer’s allowance. I have done my research and feel that she has frontal lobe dementia and this has been progressing for some time but the deterioration has escalated over the last 6 months. For example she didn’t know how to physically get into the bath today and I had to talk her through where to put her hands and legs to get onto the bath lift safely.
Hi thank you for taking the time to reply, my main issue is getting her to be assessed, I know that she has dementia but she refuses to go to the assessment. But she is getting worse so I just wondered what will change in her medical care when she has a diagnosis. Ideally I would like her to be assessed in her own home but she has to consent in the first place.
The problem is, you can't force her. If she doesn't want to go to the MC that's her decision. Neither does she have to accept carers coming in or help of any kind.
It's a real problem with people who have dementia - often they are completely unaware of how much help they need so they will refuse it. Even if you ask social services to do a needs assessment (and you should!) they will call and ask how she is and if she can manage. If she says she's fine they will simply go away then you'll be left waiting for a crisis.
Not good, is it? But definitely arrange a needs assessment.
Hi thanks for taking the time to reply and she’s had some social services involvement but they won’t do a needs assessment because she has money that is over the threshold and therefore would need to pay for any care package which again she refuses to do. So I’m left with trying to manage her care and I have got to the stage of completing a pre assessment questionnaire with the memory clinic but when they ring to discuss a date and time for the assessment with the specialist she refuses and if there’s any letters she hides them. And ultimately if she did have an appointment I’ve still got to physically get her there which is a huge task when she doesn’t feel she needs to go.
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