New member

[Debbie33]

Can anyone help me my mum was referred to the memory clinic a couple of months ago she didn't do very well in tests but because mum had been poorly didn't think fair to diagnose and to re test in a month, since then mum had a mini stroke so appt put back till 28th June just need help as watching my mum fade away from me with no diagnosis has anyone had similar problems and now has diagnosis mum very forgetful, no concept of time , can't use a knife anymore , can't write properly, asks which way to bedroom every night when reaches top of stairs needs help dressing needs prompting to brush teeth and her mobility is getting poor the list goes on any advice or help appreciated feel like can't move forward without diagnosis

 

[Debbie33]

New member advice wanted

thanks

 

[irismary]

Is it worth asking gp to get appt brought forward as if they can diagnose may be able to give medication which may help. My husband who sounds quite similar except his mobility is pretty good did benefit from donepezil - not his memory but his mood and desire to do things. Don't know about other medication that may be available. Chase them up and press for an earlier appointment - they may have a cancellation.

 

[Kevinl]

Hi Debbie, welcome to TP
I hate to say this but the experience of many people on here is that getting a formal diagnosis of AZ doesn't necessarily get you any help from the state.
You don't actually need a diagnosis to ask Social Services o do an assessment of her as a vulnerable adult and yourself as a carer, you can probably request this on line and see what help they can offer, if any.
My mother lived with me a few years ago and she was diagnosed by the GP as having a Severe Mental Impairment (SMI) but as she was in her late 80's it didn't seem necessary to put her through all the tests and scans just to confirm what we already knew as it didn't mean she'd get any extra treatment beyond what the GP could do.
The important thing is to deal with the situation as it is, no two people on here progress at the same rate or have all the same signs and symptoms, there are a range of symptoms some of which you may encounter, it's a matter of taking one day at a time and dealing with the issues as they arise.
K

 

[chris53]

Hi Debbie, a warm welcome to you to Talking Point, support and understanding here by the bucketful so sorry things with mum are so distressing with you and agree that 28th June seems such a long way off, we really need and expect a quicker turn round so practical help can be put into place, however each day seems like a week and you feel you are sinking..may I suggest that mum may have a UTI(urine infection) as these seem to go hand in hand with dementia, give her GP a call and hopefully they will be able to help/advise or do a house visit today,take notes on the changes with mum and this will be put on her records as well as a reminder to you on how things are now, we tend to go totally blank when talking to the doctors, I hope that social services have done a home assessment on mum to see what practical help can be given, if not a referral from her doctor does speed things up a bit,please let us know how things are and keep posting.
Take care
Chris x

 

[Debbie33]

Thanks for comments so far I have emailed memory clinic to see if can be seen sooner thankyou for advise on UTI your quite right but mum had test recently and this stems back to last November when first noticed changes

 

[Rich PCA Carer]

Debbie, you mention that your mum had a mini-stroke. Is she getting any treatment or support to recover from this? She could be having more mini-strokes and each one could cause some further loss of function. If the mini-strokes can be stopped she may well recover quite a bit, particularly if she gets help.


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point

 

[Debbie33]

Mini stroke

Debbie, you mention that your mum had a mini-stroke. Is she getting any treatment or support to recover from this? She could be having more mini-strokes and each one could cause some further loss of function. If the mini-strokes can be stopped she may well recover quite a bit, particularly if she gets help.


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point

I received an appt for a brain MRI scan not had results no after care just given some medication similar to blood thinners x

 

[Rich PCA Carer]

OK, the MRI should show up any resulting damage and the medication should help with blood flow through to the brain to reduce the likelihood of further min-strokes. Rapid decline is not the norm, so I suggest you get back on to the GP urgently to get further assessment. The dementia diagnosis is important but less important than stabilising your mum.


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point