Phone call neurologist appointment

kly95

Registered User
Mar 30, 2020
17
0
Hi all,
My dad has a phone call appointment with the neurologist next week & I am wondering whether or not we might get a diagnosis over a telephone appointment.
My dad has been through the memory clinic, he’s had all the tests, MRI Etc. his condition is worsening quickly so getting a diagnosis would help Us all come to terms with things I think.

thanks
Kirsty
 

Cat27

Registered User
Feb 27, 2015
13,057
0
Merseyside
I have read that some people have been given the diagnosis over the home @kly95. Could you put it on speaker so you can hear too?
 

Bunty2410

Registered User
Apr 28, 2020
65
0
Hi all,
My dad has a phone call appointment with the neurologist next week & I am wondering whether or not we might get a diagnosis over a telephone appointment.
My dad has been through the memory clinic, he’s had all the tests, MRI Etc. his condition is worsening quickly so getting a diagnosis would help Us all come to terms with things I think.

thanks
Kirsty
My mums appointment was done over the phone Due to Covid. She then had a unplanned hospital admission that required a CT head. So based on that plus the telephone consult they diagnosed her. She was visited at home by a member of the Community Dementia Team who told her as we sat at our kitchen table that she had mixed dementia. Surreal experienc.
 

justnej

New member
Jun 18, 2020
6
0
Hi kly95,

We received my husband's diagnosis of moderate alzheimer's over the phone about two months ago, there were no in-person appointments due to covid. i asked the neurologist right when i answered if we could the call on speaker phone - they were happy to oblige. if you have a way of recording the call that would be helpful too as we were so distraught that we forgot half of what he said!

i would suggest having a list of questions ready, my husband and i again were so shocked by actually hearing the diagnosis that we forgot to ask any questions and had to wait until the next call that was a month away. it's a hard thing to hear on the phone but if you are prepared you'll probably get a lot more out of the call.

wishing you guys all the best!
 

kly95

Registered User
Mar 30, 2020
17
0
Thank you for your reply.
we had the phone call appointment, the neurologist was more concerned about my dads tremors that his memory. He didn’t know my dad has been under the memory clinic so he was going to get their notes from them. He said we are looking at a diagnosis being months not weeks, & this has already been ongoing since before Christmas last year. It’s so frustrating when you know what it is and the professionals aren’t listening!!
 

Reds

Registered User
Sep 5, 2011
633
0
Hertfordshire
Oh that's a long time! Very frustrating! Shame, perhaps write a letter or email to them about it being too long!

Regards, Reds
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
I hear you @kly95 - my OH doesnt yet have a diagnosis either.

I wonder if your neurologist thinks that there is more to it than standard dementia? OH has increasing cognitive problems indicating dementia (he has all the symptoms of FTD), but he has a whole load of other things too and no-one can quite work out what is going on.
 

kly95

Registered User
Mar 30, 2020
17
0
Thank you all for your replies.
Mae are pretty certain it’s Lewy Body dementia, he has pretty much all the symptoms and we have told the neurologist this so hopefully he will look into this!
 

Rosie Apple

Registered User
Aug 2, 2020
106
0
Dorset
Having done all the tests etc. My husband was offered either a phone appointment or a video one to receive a diagnosis last week. We opted for a video one as he had already done his last assessment this way. Despite my not being terrifically competent with computers, it was much more satisfying to see a face not just a voice. It also meant that my daughter could be with us. It was nice to have another ' pair of ears' ...and she was able to ask questions that I hadn't thought of. Maybe you could consider this method if it's necessary for your dad to have any more appointments in future.
 

kly95

Registered User
Mar 30, 2020
17
0
Yes, I think we will ask for a video appointment in future as my mum and dad didn’t find a telephone one very useful.
thank you.
 

Ruth1974

Registered User
Dec 26, 2018
128
0
Hi all,
My dad has a phone call appointment with the neurologist next week & I am wondering whether or not we might get a diagnosis over a telephone appointment.
My dad has been through the memory clinic, he’s had all the tests, MRI Etc. his condition is worsening quickly so getting a diagnosis would help Us all come to terms with things I think.

thanks
Kirsty
I think they try to give the diagnosis in person but Covid might have put a stop to it. If you are anything like me, you know and have known for a long time... that doesn't make it less of a shock
 

kly95

Registered User
Mar 30, 2020
17
0
I think they try to give the diagnosis in person but Covid might have put a stop to it. If you are anything like me, you know and have known for a long time... that doesn't make it less of a shock
I can imagine hearing the words from the neurologist is shocking, even when you feel like you’ve already accepted it!
 

MartinWL

Registered User
Jun 12, 2020
2,025
0
67
London
I think telephone consu!rations have a place in some routine situations but they have a lot of limitations. My father had his first memory clinic consultation by telephone and used his charm to pull the wool over the nurse's ears. He claims that she told him she had no concerns about him memory and he repeats that often even though he cannot remember which appointment was which. There is no record of that statement or confirmation from the nurse. Subsequently we have had a re-assessment face to face, at home, with a very different result. Common sense tells me that the telephone is just not good enough to use for a diagnosis of a complex condition. There is little excuse, the coronavirus rate is very low and as this type of consultation doesn't involve stripping naked it can be done in a garden, so the risk of transmission is miniscule. I would suggest insisting on a face to face assessment so that a full insight can be gleaned. By all means speak on the phone about your in-growing toe nail, but a diagnosis of dementia demands greater effort and care.
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
865
0
Hi @kly95, is your father on any medication that could be causing his tremors. I've just had the worst 2 months of my life with Drs remotely (mis) diagnosing my sons pain and tremors with them increasing doses on many strong drugs until a hospital doctor finally laid hands on him and actually listened to him. The huge cocktail of pain relieving and so called antispasmodics were stopped and my son is now well on the way to recovery. If your dad is on gabapentin especially ask about a trial dose reduction
 

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