Sometimes I think there can be a reluctance to make such a diagnosis based on someone else's request.
Everyone does seem suspicious about people's motives in regards to the elderly.
While my husband and I feel we are the "good guys" in the situation, we have encountered suspicions all along the way. Initially when my MIL was released from the geriatric psych unit she told the people there that she didn't want to leave with us. We were waiting out in the lobby and the social worker came out to tell us the situation. We told the social worker "No, we understand, she wouldn't want to come with us, she was hoping for someone else".
They did let us take her and we drove her to her own home where her sister was waiting to greet her. We all sat down and had iced tea and chatted. About thirty minutes later a hospital vehicle showed up in the driveway. Two hospital workers came to the door with some item that had been "forgotten". Personally, I think they were being cautious and were checking up on her since she had not wanted to come with us. We invited them in and offered them tea and they went on their way after a while.
Nice that they followed up, but my point is that these suspicions can get in the way when you are only trying to help and do the right thing.
This may not fit Alzheimers stages, it is more likely a different form of dementia. Age related volume loss is possibly significant. You may have to pursue a legal guardianship, as a healthcare POA (which is different and separate from the financial POA) usually lets you make decisions only if the person cannot express their wishes and lets you see the records. You may just have to completely go the social services route since your physicians are being non-helpful. Her assaulting you is serious - Adult Protective Services, Area Agency on Aging, some other program under your county DHS or equivalent could be a resource. It is possible a local hospital has something set up for this, in Pittsburgh PA there is jeffersonregional. I wish this was easier. My husband and I knew NOTHING about what to do/where to go with his parents, I ended up learning more when it all happened to mine and things did not go quite as badly...sorry you are going through this!
We took her to a Neuro and even paid for the MRI out ofour pocket. It only shows no tumors,no signs of strokes says mild age related volume loss. We even changed PCP to Whom Kaiser claims to be Geriatric.(NOT) when we read the stages from the Alz.Asc she is stage 5 and alot of stage 6. I mentioned this to The new PCP and she had no clue what AD stages are.(ugh). I have video and voice recordings the drs are not intrested enough to listen and for dignity reasons I don't want to just show anyone. She has behaviors and when we took her to ER the Kaiser ER Dr would not order mental observation and discharged her. I am at a loss. When we left the DR visit Wed the new dr said she is 100% sound that night she had full moon madness choking me , hitting,kicking swearing etc,I feel so guilty cause I just walked off went outside and as soon as I did cause she was out of controll she fell. She denied wanting us to take her to the ER. I don't know what to do!!! We have POA and DPOA and Kiaser states if she refuses treatment there is nothing my boyfriend or I can do. What good is DPOA if we can't say what tests we agree to. If we lwave anything up tp her she would already be dead. All the lame ass questions the new PCP asked Gma wasn't even close to correct with any of her answers,when we told Doc said only to bring Doris in every 6wks or so for her routine meds. I GIVE!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!
I'm guessing this PCP has done a very superficial exam not even including a mini mental status or anything beyond light conversation, but you are dealing with obvious lapses of judgement and/or self-care...
1. Any chance you can get a geriatric specialist of any sort? Nurse, psychologist, SW, neurologist or specialty physician, anyone at all?
2. How about a couple of cell phone videos or other direct evidence of cognitive dysfunction, in case the issue is ot so much PCP being ignorant but Gma having a great case of "show-timer's"?
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Everyone does seem suspicious about people's motives in regards to the elderly.
While my husband and I feel we are the "good guys" in the situation, we have encountered suspicions all along the way. Initially when my MIL was released from the geriatric psych unit she told the people there that she didn't want to leave with us. We were waiting out in the lobby and the social worker came out to tell us the situation. We told the social worker "No, we understand, she wouldn't want to come with us, she was hoping for someone else".
They did let us take her and we drove her to her own home where her sister was waiting to greet her. We all sat down and had iced tea and chatted. About thirty minutes later a hospital vehicle showed up in the driveway. Two hospital workers came to the door with some item that had been "forgotten". Personally, I think they were being cautious and were checking up on her since she had not wanted to come with us. We invited them in and offered them tea and they went on their way after a while.
Nice that they followed up, but my point is that these suspicions can get in the way when you are only trying to help and do the right thing.
Age related volume loss is possibly significant. You may have to pursue a legal guardianship, as a healthcare POA (which is different and separate from the financial POA) usually lets you make decisions only if the person cannot express their wishes and lets you see the records. You may just have to completely go the social services route since your physicians are being non-helpful. Her assaulting you is serious - Adult Protective Services, Area Agency on Aging, some other program under your county DHS or equivalent could be a resource. It is possible a local hospital has something set up for this, in Pittsburgh PA there is jeffersonregional. I wish this was easier. My husband and I knew NOTHING about what to do/where to go with his parents, I ended up learning more when it all happened to mine and things did not go quite as badly...sorry you are going through this!
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1. Any chance you can get a geriatric specialist of any sort? Nurse, psychologist, SW, neurologist or specialty physician, anyone at all?
2. How about a couple of cell phone videos or other direct evidence of cognitive dysfunction, in case the issue is ot so much PCP being ignorant but Gma having a great case of "show-timer's"?