how long before diagnosis?

jude1950

Registered User
Mar 23, 2006
182
0
Lincolnshire
I wonder if anyone can tell me how long it is before you get a diagnosis? We are seeing a psychiatrist this week for an assesment on my partner. I am assuming he will do a mini mental state examination... will the results be made known to us on this occasion or is it usual to have to wait?Do they rely on the patients ideas of what the problem is or will they allow some input from me?
I go from day to day sometimes thinking it must be my imagination that there is something wrong other times convinced he is getting worse ! Any thoughts on this matter would be much appreciated.
Thanks Jude
 

Amy

Registered User
Jan 4, 2006
3,454
0
Hiya Jude,
Sorry can't answer your questions really - what I have read from others is that there does seem to be an opportunity for you to have some input. What I remember of mum doing the test was that it was quickly apparent that she could do little of what was being asked.
Just wanted you to know that your post had been read; others with more knowledge will be able to tell you more.
Love Amy
 

LindaD

Registered User
Nov 17, 2004
30
0
Suffolk
Diagnosis

When Mum was still at home and refusing carers for herself and not acknowledging her own memory problems, there was a break in the availabilty of the carers that were coming in for my stepfather to get him up and put him to bed as he has had a stroke. Mum refused to let him go into respite care saying she could manage for herself. Social Worker requested an assessment from GP for Mum regarding her ability to make that decision. GP was very dismissive and said their situation was no worse than many other eldery people in their area where one was physically infirm and one was mentally infirm and that was what came of letting eldery people recover from strokes! SW was horrified and complained.

Doctor from Clacton Hospital then came to the house to do the assessment - he spoke to my brother and myself on our own and then to Mum on her own. She was not deemed able to decide and had to sign to absolve Social Services from responsibility.

Needless to say stepdad had a fall and ambulance had to come - I directed operations by telephone (at least she was able to ring me at that stage) and he ended up in hospital and in respite care after all, but after that he never came home. She kept on forgetting where he was (still ringing me to ask, fortunately) and we came to realise how bad she had got. She had a fall herself several weeks later and broke her arm and that is when she joined him which was all a bit sad but a huge relief at the same time. She managed to get the plaster cast off her arm at one point!

She has had another assessment from the same doctor actually at the hospital, since then (can't remember why but I think we asked for it) and he tried to speak to us and the manager of the home seperately but Mum refused to let him. She had to give her permission for us to see the results, which came by letter some time later.

The only medication she is on is Diazepan (?) for her anxiety.

Questions:
Now that we have moved them both to a different county - I know that the care home will change the GP - but should we notify the new Social Services even though they have not been involved since they went into the original home initially? They pay their own fees privately.

Also how often should these assessments be done?

Ought she to be on further medication - will it help?
 

noelphobic

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
3,452
0
Liverpool
LindaD said:
Questions:
Now that we have moved them both to a different county - I know that the care home will change the GP - but should we notify the new Social Services even though they have not been involved since they went into the original home initially? They pay their own fees privately.

Also how often should these assessments be done?

Ought she to be on further medication - will it help?

I don't know if you need to inform Social Services, they tend to withdraw from the picture when a placement has been made and it is agreed that it is permanent, or as permanent as it can be.

Usually when someone enters a nursing or care home they are assessed after about a month and then annually. Or are you talking about a different kind of assessment?

You say that they pay their own fees privately. Are they in a nursing home rather than a care home? If so then they should at least be getting some contribution from the Local Authority in the form of help towards the nursing component. I could go on about NHS continuing care but that soap box is getting worn out!

I don't know about the medication. The GP should be able to decide that. I hope the new one is better than the last one!
 

gettingthere

Registered User
Jan 25, 2006
7
0
Edinburgh
My dad who is 91 was first put on Diazepan but we found that it did not do anything to help. He went into respite and lasted about 3hrs and it was only after that that the doctor proscribed Dozic which is a form of Haleperodol which calmed him right down and stopped him making so many phone calls to us. You should ask the doctor for something different because I do not believe that Diazepan is an ideal drug for AD.
 

jarnee

Registered User
Mar 18, 2006
181
0
leicestershire
LindaD said:
Questions:
Now that we have moved them both to a different county - I know that the care home will change the GP - but should we notify the new Social Services even though they have not been involved since they went into the original home initially? They pay their own fees privately.

Also how often should these assessments be done?

Ought she to be on further medication - will it help?


LindaD
My dad went into a care home permanetly about 6 weeks ago and it is in a diferent county from the one where he was originally assessed etc.

Despite initial settling problems, he has now settled in fine. The home, via the new GP, arranged for a CPN to see him a couple of weeks ago and then for the memory clinic doctor to come and talk to / assess him. I am told that the memory clinic doctor (Sorry, I don't know her official title) will come to see dad every 3 months. The doctor has left the medication the same as it has been for a few weeks, although the GP altered it slightly when he got there to hlp him settle. He is still on aracept, which surprised me as the nurse suggested they might stop that drug because he was in permanent care and it is often used to keep people at home as long as possible. She explained that it slows the progress down ( if that's the right expresion - you know what I mean) , which may not be considered cost effective once in permanent care. ..... !!!!!
He no longer has a social worker, or at least one that is actively involved, although they said we could contact them if he needed one.

Either of these things may be different in other counties, but I hope that helps

Jarnee
 
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