Thank you all for your advice. My husband acknowledges he has a memory problem. It came as a shock when the doctor did a memory test (I had first alerted him of my concerns) & he is frightened. He is not incompetent and tells me that if there is a serious problem, at his advancing years, he would prefer not to know. He has kidney problems & neuropathy. Also gets very depressed. He has not been officially diagnosed with A/D. It is my fear, as his behaviour for the past 12 months so much fits the pattern. The doctor requested the brain scan to help find the cause. As the thought of it distresses my husband I have dropped the subject with him. I will write to his doctor and let him know. Sometimes it has been difficult to see the wood for the trees! Best wishes
Jane do you know the purpose of the brain scan? What do they hope to find out? if they find what they are looking for is there any treatment you and your husband would agree to? Of course he can refuse to go and evenif you get him there he can refuse to get on the table and the techicians won't make him. if he moves around the scan will be worthless anyway. So find answers to all the questions then decide if this is worth it or just a money making exercise for the hospital. When you have these answers stop worrying about it.
Jane, if your husband has not been declared incompetent, he is free to make his own decisions about which tests he will do. Your profile states he has Alzheimers and dementia. Has he been officially diagnosed? Is he on medication? Does he acknowledge that he has a problem? Perhaps a discussion about establishing a baseline would help him. It really depends on what he is able to understand and if he can still reason. Tell his doctor he refuses the test and see what if anything he recommends as a next step. Perhaps someone else has had this experience and will answer. I've personally not felt the test made that much difference in my experience with my loved one with dementia. Each person is different.
Jane, what's the purpose of the brain scan (MRI?)? I.e., what specific conditions prompted scripting for this? Is the doctor a neurologist? Has he been having TIAs or a stroke?
If your husband has never had an MRI before, he might be uncertain or afraid of what it involves. Do you think that's the issue, or is he generally not accepting of what this doctor suggests?
More information on your husband's medical condition would help, i.e., if he had some level of dementia and isn't clearly understanding the issues, if he's had TIAS or a stroke, etc.
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Of course he can refuse to go and evenif you get him there he can refuse to get on the table and the techicians won't make him. if he moves around the scan will be worthless anyway.
So find answers to all the questions then decide if this is worth it or just a money making exercise for the hospital.
When you have these answers stop worrying about it.
Your profile states he has Alzheimers and dementia. Has he been officially diagnosed?
Is he on medication? Does he acknowledge that he has a problem? Perhaps a discussion about establishing a baseline would help him. It really depends on what he is able to understand and if he can still reason.
Tell his doctor he refuses the test and see what if anything he recommends as a next step.
Perhaps someone else has had this experience and will answer.
I've personally not felt the test made that much difference in my experience with my loved one with dementia. Each person is different.
If your husband has never had an MRI before, he might be uncertain or afraid of what it involves. Do you think that's the issue, or is he generally not accepting of what this doctor suggests?
More information on your husband's medical condition would help, i.e., if he had some level of dementia and isn't clearly understanding the issues, if he's had TIAS or a stroke, etc.