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Magazeta31 Asked February 2022

How can I get my husband to seek medical advice when he won’t consider he has a problem with his memory?

Geaton777 Feb 2022
It's not that he won't consider his problem -- it's because he can't.

People with dementia and ALZ can sometimes have a condition called Anosognosia: when someone is unaware of their own mental health or cognitive condition or they can’t perceive their condition accurately. 

https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Common-with-Mental-Illness/Anosognosia

Even though this source is from a mental illness website, it still pertains to older people with dementia/ALZ.

Geaton777 Feb 2022
What is the reason for him to see his doctor at this time? Your profile says he has ALZ but is this your opinion and not a diagnosis? If he's never had a diagnosis then yes, it would be important to do this especially for the sake of his PoA. A diagnosis is required in order to activate this authority. Does he have a PoA assigned at this point in time? If not, this needs to happen BEFORE his diagnosis because it may call into question any legal paperwork he signs after this point.

IMO it is best to have someone from a younger generation as your PoA. If he is resistant to doing this try leading the way by announcing you've read about how important it is to have this (and other) legal protections in place and you have made an appointment with an elder law/estate planning attorney to discuss this and create a PoA for yourself. The attorney will then take each of you alone to privately interview and assess whether he can comprehend what assigning a PoA means. Declining memory does not preclude signing the paperwork, but comprehension does.

More info from you would be helpful.

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Grandma1954 Feb 2022
Will he go to the doctor at all?
If you can get him there just for a physical that might be a start.
Suggest to him that Medicare "requires" an Annual Physical Exam. Tell him it is part of the coverage.
If you can send a note to the doctor in advance expressing your concerns that would help.
Other than that it might be a case of waiting until something happens.
I do suggest that you see an Elder Care Attorney so that you know what steps you will need to take if and when the time comes that he is diagnosed you at least will be prepared.

If you have kids discuss this with them and maybe they can get him to see his doctor. Even if they can't getting them involved in advance might help and give you support.

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