Waiting times for diagnosis?

Weasell

Registered User
Oct 21, 2019
1,778
0
Hi everyone. Thanks so much for your kind and supportive messages. Just wanted to update you.

Mum got a phonecall early last week asking if she was free for a video assessment and since then everything's happened really quickly.

The assessment was in 3 separate parts: a chat on the phone with me; a video call for Mum where she was asked to do some tasks on paper and pen, and then another video chat with a specialist a few days later with both me and Mum together where they asked Mum some more questions, talked us through everything including how she did on the assessment, the referral from the GP and gave her a diagnosis. Mum has Alzheimer's.

It's awful and Mum was devastated but hopefully this is a positive step as it means we can support Mum better now we know what is going on. She is going to get some medication that hopefully will help to stop things getting worse for a time and might even improve her memory for a bit.

What may have helped (and I don't have definitive proof, only circumstantial) but I asked Mum's audiologist to write a letter to the GP and memory clinic after the audiologist noticed Mum's memory issues and asked me to attend her hearing appointment with her. The phone call about the assessment came through less than a week after the letter was sent and they did mention that they had taken the information in to into account when making the diagnosis.
Did I miss something?
What about the brain scan?
 

WorriedDaughter83

New member
Jul 30, 2020
9
0
Did I miss something?
What about the brain scan?

Hi @Weasell I asked about a scan and they said it wasn't necessary. Apparently they only do it in about 5 - 10% of cases where is it suspected Alzheimers, and that's normally where the memory or cognitive issues have been more sudden and they are using the scan to rule out other potential causes of memory issues e.g. a tumour.

Because Mum's issues having been developing slowly over a number of years, and she hasn't had a fall or suddenly got worse, apparently they didn't feel it was necessary. If I understand the literature right (went into research mode yesterday!!) scans don't always necessarily tell them anything definitive i.e. they can't just tell from a scan that it's Alzheimer's (although I think it's different if it's suspected vascular dementia or other conditions). But am not an expert!
 

Weasell

Registered User
Oct 21, 2019
1,778
0
Hi @Weasell I asked about a scan and they said it wasn't necessary. Apparently they only do it in about 5 - 10% of cases where is it suspected Alzheimers, and that's normally where the memory or cognitive issues have been more sudden and they are using the scan to rule out other potential causes of memory issues e.g. a tumour.

Because Mum's issues having been developing slowly over a number of years, and she hasn't had a fall or suddenly got worse, apparently they didn't feel it was necessary. If I understand the literature right (went into research mode yesterday!!) scans don't always necessarily tell them anything definitive i.e. they can't just tell from a scan that it's Alzheimer's (although I think it's different if it's suspected vascular dementia or other conditions). But am not an expert!
That’s a very interesting answer. Thank you.