MMSE - an illustration

[Tender Face]

I know the subject of the value of the MMSE crops up from time to time .....

Mum had her fourth today. One CPN undertook the test with mum while I did the usual 'carer's' questions with their colleague in another room. After what I felt were very honest answers about how both she and I were coping the CPN suggested I really need to look at 'persuading' mum to go to daycare more frequently and/or get more help in at home ...... although we still have some pretty major fluctuations, the general decline is apparent (I won't bore you with the evidence I had just on arriving at mum's today and seeing the state of her kitchen!!!) ...

Well, blow me down if she didn't score a whopping 26 on the MMSE!!!!!!!! (At 22 last time, I had been worried she wouldn't even 'hit' the 20 mark this time around .......). I expressed my surprise to the CPNs .... 'It could be the effect of the Aricept' was their suggestion .... but mum had one better explanation:

"Silly sods, they keep asking me the same questions every time, I can remember the answers from last time'!!!!!!!!!

Well done, mum!

Karen, x

 

[christine_batch]

Dear Karen,
Thanks for that. It made me smile, bless your Mum's responce.
Best wishes
Christine

 

[desperado]

Absolutely brilliant !!! I really laughed as I can imagine my mother saying that sort of thing. They are little gems sometimes !!

My mother scored 26 as well last week but the dr asked her to do it again and she didn't do so well. Maybe she was tired by then - we were there for 2 hours.

 

[helen.tomlinson]

Hello Tender Face

Hilarious - what a gem. However what is MMSE. Alan has never been given a score. I gather it's some memory test. Alan has a Fronto Temperal Lobe dementia and I wonder whether MMSE is only done with Alzheimer's patients??

Love Helen

 

[sue38]

Loved that Karen!

Makes you wonder who's 'daft' doesn't it?

Helen the MMSE stands for mini mental state examination. This is the link to the Society's fact sheet http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/factsheet/436

I'm not sure whether the MMSE is only given to AD patients. Does Alan have difficulty with language? If so the test is of limited use, as I understand it. My Dad has had the MMSE 3 times, scoring 8 out of 30 on the last occasion, but as the consultant now believes that he semantic dementia (which also affects speech) this score does not accurately reflect his mental state.

 

[BeckyJan]

Silly sods,

The quote sums it all up, Karen!!! I wonder if they can self prescribe aricept

David's tests have scored in region of 24-27 - and yet I know he is really down the line in dementia terms. It would be interesting to know what he scores now he is sitting in rehab centre feeling 'blank' most of the time (his expression, not mine).

I wonder how much is spent on these ..... tests? It could be better used in prescribing to those who need it, or giving support to those who need it too.

Best wishes Jan

 

[gill@anchorage5]

Good for her!

That's great Karen (made me smile) & good for your Mum! Reminds me of last time I witnessed Dad going through the MMSE test. He didn't know the day of the week, the month or the year, but said to the CPN "I don't know - but if I need to know that I'll look on the top of the newspaper"! Sadly his score was only 11 on that day, but I felt he deserved extra points for "trying".

Take care

Gill x

 

[Margaret W]

Hi all,

The MMSE is just one measure of a person's declining mental state. Mum has had 4 and scored well on them all. She could name the prime minister, tell what day it was (but they never asked her what TIME of day, she wouldn't have had a clue!), could copy shapes and count backwards. But it still didn't stop her from going to the post office at 6 a.m., the Old Ladies club at midnight and the corner shop at 2 a.m., not taking her medication and phoning the doctor to visit my dad who had been dead for 3 years.

Good to have a laugh though, Karen.

Margaret

 

[helen.tomlinson]

Hi Sue 38

Thanks for that information. I am gaining great benefit from learning things about dementia at the moment - probably because Alan isn't too bad at the moment.

Alan has a semantic dementia of the Fronto Temperal Lobe and, yes, it does affect his speech.

Love Helen

 

[Lucille]

... the mysteries of memory

This illness is an enigma, but fair play to your mum, Karen - what a card

 

[Guitarlady]

Thank you that really made me laugh.

I can remember a couple of weeks before we lost my mum (she had Multi Infarct Dementia and MS, she was then 64) my dad was visiting her in hospital (he has Alzheimers he is now 69 and in a nursing home)I asked him where I had left something at home, as plain as anything mum looked at me and said 'No point asking him, he forgets everything' Now was that the pot calling the kettle black or what!