Hi Beverley,i can understand where your coming from with this one.When dad had his mmse i was sure he didn't understand the consultant,the consultant was from a foreign country,with a thick accent that i found difficult to comprehend.let alone dad.I wasn't allowed to help dad,i know its policy as i work with mmse's day in day out.but for someone unable to understand an accent or for consultants to be unable to communicate effectivley with clients must qualify for assistance from family.dads score was 16,but am not so sure now!!!!a resident of mine,who was far more advanced than dad got a score of 17.i was bloody mortified.how?????????????????perhaps its because the communication skills were ok?i will never know now dads gone,but my word this ones got me going!thanks elainex

 

Had the same problem.

Question: when were you born?
Answer: 1066 followed by giggles.
Question: no,can you give me an estimate.
Answer: 3 yards. BECAUSE SHE WAS A DRESSMAKER USED TO CALCULATING HOW MANY YARDS OF CLOTH SHE WOULD NEED TO MAKE A DRESS/SKIRT/SUIT of whatever.

Scored low because she was HUMAN and CHEEKY and because CONSULTANT did not know where she was coming from.

But I did, and I was told by CONSULTANT that I was not allowed to help HER.

Please, Consultant, I was trying to help YOU. To understand ....

Katie

 

Beverley, well done!

You've certainly proved your point. It was so obvious, so why didn't the consultant challenge it at the time? Glad you made them listen.

Love,

 

I to had the same problem with Peter's first Consultant.
Now I am usually good at accents but he had me in a spin.
Had I been taking the test, God only know what my score would have been?

I wrote a letter in as constructive way that I could - pros and cons and then I received a letter to say Peter had a new Consultant who was brilliant.

But the fact the original Consultant made Peter feel stupid and he was very upset when we left and NO ONE was going to get away with that.

Christine

 

deterioration is going to happen with or with out medication , so I can't understand the logic with the CPN agreeing with you when he said that its possibility, of course it a possibility ! with or with out medication they a deterioration going on

I find it very surprising that a CPN can make a comment about medication , what the effects would be when it is withdrawn , his not a specialist in medication its down to the consultant that is a specialist in medication for AZ to know what the effects of with drawing medication would be like .

I would of thought anyway that a memory nurse would do a MMSE scores Not a CPN , as my mother having another one on the 18 March , by the memory nurse . but then every area if different .

My mother on last stage of medication now they no more that can be done , deterioration has been happing with medication anyway , but more slowly not so harsh . now medication is not working.

all that going to happen now is her care needs are going to get higher .

 

that does sound postive

also Just
could not understand the attitude of a CPN saying leave medication alone , because they no anxiety, depression or paranoia present,

as AZ medication is not giving to a person to stop that happening, its just given to slow down the progression of the disease .

as to control anxiety, depression or paranoia present, would be ant depression tablets and ant psychotic drugs


if I am wrong will someone please correct me .

Yes that only happen in the UK

 

A couple of phrases I'd quite like to banish from the English language:
"What if", hotly followed by
"if only".

Katie

 

Take it as it comes

Hi Beverley
Ron will not be taking any drug's as an experiment, to see if they work
They will leave him alone.
I honestly beleive, that he should not have been given some drug's several year's ago
A few month's ago he was given LORAZEPAM the help his sleep, MAD, MAD, MAD.
He need's no help sleeping, he need's help to keep awake. But, I need help to sleep, cannot take anything, in case he need's me in the night.
Go girl - GO
Luv Barb X

 

dear Beverley.there is conptemption of your beliefs on my part,but can i say that you vehementley deny that theres any cause for concern.theres a/z?perhaps?no matter what stage the A/Z is at hun,its there.what stage is it at?don't deny yourself or anyone with the disease,the treatment that may well make a change in their life.love elainex

 

Elaine - Beverley's father doesn't have AD - he has vascular dementia. As such there aren't any medications licensed in the UK for treament of the dementia symptoms. Now some of the AD meds are used in other countries even for people with vascular dementia with some success, but as Beverley says - most of the management is about reducing/removing the risk factors.

 

I am wondering what are the risk factors, as that not how Beverley worded her 1st post .

So I can see your point now Beverley

I know with medication like Exbiza they do say not to give the medication , if someone has heart problems , but your father got a bad heart anyway ?

So I wonder what , the other 3 AZ medication says and the risk in taking them when someone has heart problem and
diabetic .

you make a good point they when you said that .

I was told from my doctor who a clinical neurologist , that if Exbiza was taken away from my mother it could give her heart failure , but not blindness .

( so if I took it anyway its be like me saying well AZ is going to get her anyway , so it be better to let her die of heart failure )

That would happen anyway if the sugar leaves level are not control, the eyes always need to be
monitored when someone has diabetes . as my doctor said if not mum could go blind .



( so your father could end up blind and confused anyway, but if can still see the logic in going to see eye specialist he be OK )

My mother would not go to her second appointment to check her eyes from a eye specialist , as they found high level of Glaucoma in her eyes / Cataract (sp ) , so it seem that my mother is going to became blind, before she pass-away pass-away.

as she so confused now anyway , she can't see the logic of going to see the eye specialist and it would be to distressing for her anyway to much to have the Cataract taken anyway .

so she going to end up confused and blind , but then angina she may not because who knows what the future hold, something else may kill her before that happen , she could get hit by a bus!

Only Joking you do need humor

 

for my own experience in life from seeing my mother sister come out of a dietetic coma that gave her a stroke, coming out of it she was like a vegetable then 4 weeks later she had another stroke that still did not kill her but was nearly brain dead , so they gave her morphine she died 9 days later I would rather see my mother pass away with AZ .

also before that seeing my father come out of a heart attract and 2 stroke

So then if they could give me a 1001 present , that taking my mother of Exbiza that would give her a massive heart attract that would kill her out right , like it did at the end with my father .

I would do it , but then no one came really know that not even doctors or any specialist he just tell me she would have a heart attack, but it may not kill her ( god it can drive me mad ) so I am leaving her on the medication and letting nature ride it .

 

Hi Beverley
I read with interest your post about mmse tests and also about your dad's situation. There are some simlarities Dad has Vas dem and other problems including Diabetes. He also has a history of Glaucoma. I can totally sympathise with your concerns re medication. I think my dad is at a later stage in his decline.Reading your post I am glad I didn't have to witness Dad taking the test a few years ago. He scored full marks for ages even though his condition was obvious. Staff used to tell me it was because he 'high fucntioning' ( he was a pharmacist and ironically he was the most qualified on the ward to manage patients medicine!!) Sadly its not the case now. I couldn't believe that the 'professional' involved didn't take into account that your Dads english was a second language - how crass!!

Dad is at the stage where he can now no longer take medication of any kind, they have even withdrawn his diabetic meds(type2) There is no question that he ha declined but thats the disease not the meds. Infact, the meds he was on were very tranquilising and I thnk this contributed to his problems with hind sight. Now he is not tranquilised and has an awareness that he didn't have before which causes sadness, but I can talk with him (just about)and he still knows who I am. I have read your other threads and there is alot i can be sympathetic about( especially trouble with sisters!!) I'm sure we could write a book about them!
I hope things go well with your Dad's care
take care
hendy

 

Questions to anyone who has any info to offer

What would do if you were told that

1. "those biscuits don't matter", nor does "the cake" that he/she wants and desires and eats with joy? Why don't they matter? Well, because he/she's "on medication for diabetes, so cakes and biscuits don't matter".

2. Especially if you are told that by the Charge Nurse/Deputy Ward Manager in the mental health care assessment unit, where your 83-year old with Vascular Dementia is being held?

ALL OFFERS GRATEFULLY RECEIVED, FOLKS.

Katie