Memory Assessment

[BevRev]

Good Morning, my mother recently attended a memory appointment after waiting for 6 months. Mum has deteriated during this time and struggles with many aspects of her Dimentia. I attended the appointment with her and the Nurse Practitioner was rude and not caring at all. She scored her 78 out of 100 and said that she is suffering from stress not Dimentia and then discharged her. I could not believe that she was treated the way she was. My mother had two appointments at the doctors and referred. In your opinion, do you think she should have just been discharged. She is no longer receiving any support at all and no longer on the list. Very concerning for me to see her just let go with no help.

 

[Kevinl]

Hello and welcome from me and I'm sure all of us on here, however, it is difficult to know what to say for me anyway.
If the experts say it's stress related rather than dementia of some sort then as we don't know her it's very hard to say.
What can I ask makes you think it dementia rather than stress as the medics say.
While diagnosis isn't an exact science tests, scans and all the rest can usually give some specific diagnosis but not always.
While she is still deemed to have capacity have you put all the bits in place like Power of Attorney, joint access to her finances and all the rest of the paperwork, post diagnosis it can be a nightmare to do. K

 

[Louise7]

Hello @BevRev and welcome to the forum, this is a friendly, supportive place. I'm sorry to hear that you had a disappointing appointment at the memory clinic, especially after waiting so long to see them. Unfortunately most memory clinics generally have long wait lists and it's not uncommon for people to be discharged after just one or two appointments, even with a diagnosis of dementia, my mum was. It may be a good idea to go back to the GP though to ask what other medication, help or support might be available for your mother to help manage the stress that has been diagnosed by the clinic nurse. Keeping a record of any concerns or changes in your mum's behaviour might be helpful too, and if you are needing more help and support in terms of dealing with daily care for your mum you can request a care needs assessment from the local authority adult care team - details in the link below.

If you haven't already done so, the above advice about getting Lasting Powers of Attorney in place is good as they will help later on. You will find support here from people who understand and are going through similar experiences, you are not alone.

The care needs assessment: support for people with dementia

This page looks at how a person with dementia can get a care assessment, who does an assessment, how they are carried out, who makes the decision, and tips for making the most of the care needs assessment. It also explains the eligibility criteria.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

 

[maggie6445]

Good Morning, my mother recently attended a memory appointment after waiting for 6 months. Mum has deteriated during this time and struggles with many aspects of her Dimentia. I attended the appointment with her and the Nurse Practitioner was rude and not caring at all. She scored her 78 out of 100 and said that she is suffering from stress not Dimentia and then discharged her. I could not believe that she was treated the way she was. My mother had two appointments at the doctors and referred. In your opinion, do you think she should have just been discharged. She is no longer receiving any support at all and no longer on the list. Very concerning for me to see her just let go with no help.

@BevRev I'd follow this up with the memory clinic. If the test was Addenbrookes memory assessment then a score of below 83 is abnormal. I'd contact the clinic and question what that means in your mum's case and ask why it is considered stress related..

Generally Addenbrookes scores of 88+ are normal, below 83 abnormal and 83-87 inconclusive.

 

[ceggs]

Good Morning, my mother recently attended a memory appointment after waiting for 6 months. Mum has deteriated during this time and struggles with many aspects of her Dimentia. I attended the appointment with her and the Nurse Practitioner was rude and not caring at all. She scored her 78 out of 100 and said that she is suffering from stress not Dimentia and then discharged her. I could not believe that she was treated the way she was. My mother had two appointments at the doctors and referred. In your opinion, do you think she should have just been discharged. She is no longer receiving any support at all and no longer on the list. Very concerning for me to see her just let go with no help.

I’m hearing you x my mum had 6 weeks of photo. My mum never had a score. Just a brain scan with parches x