Dementia-Mini Mental Test-Is It Fit For Purpose?
The mini mental test you are asked when you have been referred to the Consultant by your doctor is
“probably “ one of the most important tests of your cognitive abilities and memory tests, but is it fit
for purpose? Dementia is predominantly about short term memory loss, please remember these
four words SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS and yet during the tests you are asked these kind of
question’s
Q? Where do you live? Ans? Well, you may have lived at the same house for the last forty years!!
Q? Who is the queen of England ? Ans? Really? Oh come on!! She has been on the throne for 70 yrs
plus
Q? What car do you drive? Ans ? You may well have had the same car for years
And best of all? Q? Please draw a triangle inside a triangle and a circle overlapping a circle.
Now, if you’re anything like me the only thing I can draw is breath!! Dementia or not, I would
struggle with that one and so it goes on, in my humble opinion? Absolutely ridiculous! A perfect
example is a very good friend of mine who also had severe dementia went to do the test with his
wife; he scored 17 out of twenty and was told it wasn’t too bad and progressing slowly. They both
left the building got in the car, drove 1 mile home and when they arrived home his wife asked him
“Where have we just been? He answered “No idea!! At this point I should be saying I rest my case!!
But I won’t because I really don’t think the Doctors or Consultants are listening enough the loved
ones and relatives and they really need too.
Now i know what you’re thinking? What should they be asking then?? Well, here are a few
suggestions I believe every loved one should ask the consultant to ask, in fact INSIST the consultant
asks these questions because after all, it’s about SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS , remember ? (See
what I did there?) They should ask?
Q? How did you get here this morning?
Q? What did you have for breakfast?
Q? What time did you get up??
Q? What did you watch on TV last night?
We need relevant questions to be asked and not the same ones that have been asked for years, they
are clearly not working as so many are being missed and going undiagnosed. When I was first
diagnosed I was told by consultant to “Use it or Lose it, that was all” When I asked him after all his
years of experience, and in his professional capacity, was that the best advice he could give?? I will
let you guess his response, needless to say I changed consultant and it’s a good job I did as the first
one diagnosed me the Alzheimer’s Type dementia and I actually had the Lewy body’s type dementia,
and I really can’t stress enough how important it is to get the right diagnosis, as different drugs for
different types of dementia are involved and wrong usage of certain drugs can have dire
consequences, if you have any doubt whatsoever please insist on either a second opinion.
So if you do find yourself in the awful position of being sat there whilst a loved one is being
diagnosed for dementia and they do the mini mental test, please insist the questions I have
suggested be asked, they will help ensure the consultant has a better idea of how far the disease has
progressed
The mini mental test you are asked when you have been referred to the Consultant by your doctor is
“probably “ one of the most important tests of your cognitive abilities and memory tests, but is it fit
for purpose? Dementia is predominantly about short term memory loss, please remember these
four words SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS and yet during the tests you are asked these kind of
question’s
Q? Where do you live? Ans? Well, you may have lived at the same house for the last forty years!!
Q? Who is the queen of England ? Ans? Really? Oh come on!! She has been on the throne for 70 yrs
plus
Q? What car do you drive? Ans ? You may well have had the same car for years
And best of all? Q? Please draw a triangle inside a triangle and a circle overlapping a circle.
Now, if you’re anything like me the only thing I can draw is breath!! Dementia or not, I would
struggle with that one and so it goes on, in my humble opinion? Absolutely ridiculous! A perfect
example is a very good friend of mine who also had severe dementia went to do the test with his
wife; he scored 17 out of twenty and was told it wasn’t too bad and progressing slowly. They both
left the building got in the car, drove 1 mile home and when they arrived home his wife asked him
“Where have we just been? He answered “No idea!! At this point I should be saying I rest my case!!
But I won’t because I really don’t think the Doctors or Consultants are listening enough the loved
ones and relatives and they really need too.
Now i know what you’re thinking? What should they be asking then?? Well, here are a few
suggestions I believe every loved one should ask the consultant to ask, in fact INSIST the consultant
asks these questions because after all, it’s about SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS , remember ? (See
what I did there?) They should ask?
Q? How did you get here this morning?
Q? What did you have for breakfast?
Q? What time did you get up??
Q? What did you watch on TV last night?
We need relevant questions to be asked and not the same ones that have been asked for years, they
are clearly not working as so many are being missed and going undiagnosed. When I was first
diagnosed I was told by consultant to “Use it or Lose it, that was all” When I asked him after all his
years of experience, and in his professional capacity, was that the best advice he could give?? I will
let you guess his response, needless to say I changed consultant and it’s a good job I did as the first
one diagnosed me the Alzheimer’s Type dementia and I actually had the Lewy body’s type dementia,
and I really can’t stress enough how important it is to get the right diagnosis, as different drugs for
different types of dementia are involved and wrong usage of certain drugs can have dire
consequences, if you have any doubt whatsoever please insist on either a second opinion.
So if you do find yourself in the awful position of being sat there whilst a loved one is being
diagnosed for dementia and they do the mini mental test, please insist the questions I have
suggested be asked, they will help ensure the consultant has a better idea of how far the disease has
progressed