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I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
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V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Does he know what day and time it is? Does he know what he is supposed to be doing? Does he remember that he ate or what he ate? Can he manage money and pay bills? Does he clean up after himself? Is he showing signs of incontinence? Does he get lost in the car? Does he forget how things work, or how to do tasks he used to do?
Dementia doesn't stay mild. Don't think "supposedly", think, "What do we do next?"
Get his vision checked. Even a mild deficit will impair attention and responsiveness, as well as interfere with communication for someone who is visually dependent. Is he losing his sense of smell? That is another sign of dementia.
He obviously has some functional impairments or he would not be working with an OT. Make a plan for him to stop driving ASAP! Make plans for his long term care while he can still participate. Get help and support for yourself. Get him diagnosed, so you know what to expect. Sending you both virtual hugs!
It really depends on the type of dementia. I would suggest an evaluation with follow-on treatment by a neurologist. Many types of dementia can be treated in the early stages to "sharpen" memory and areas that are of concern.
Keep in mind "dementia" is an umbrella term for the main symptom of various brain diseases.
My Ex climbed telephone poles for 30 years. That takes extreme physical strength and balance. I noticed (after he retired) he'd get lost and can't find his car. He called me several times to come help him find it. I was clueless how bad that was. Then not paying his bills, after being a stickler his whole life. Then I walked into a health hazard condo that almost gagged me, after being a neat freak his entire life. THAT did it. I took him to a Doctor the next day.
In my Mom's case, she got scratches on her car and she had no idea how she got them (scuffs on her hubcaps).
At that point, as agreed between her and my brother, she gave up her car keys and relied on public transportation to get around, with my brother on call for transportation, if she so desired (she didn't).
Early signs my husband exhibited were getting loss while driving familiar routes, not being able to fix simple things around the house (he was quite the handyman), losing things, leaving his wallet on an ATM machine. Later he wanted to just sleep all day. Also paranoid thinking someone was looking in our (second story) window.
Getting lost. Reading every piece of mail and not being able to decipher junk from real mail. Getting scammed. Strange happenings in home. Containers not being in right places. Example a laundry detergent lid in glasses cabinet in kitchen Things neglected such as plants and pets. Weight loss. Accusing people of taking or hiding things. Late bills. Paranoia. Fear of sleeping at night. I could go on.
I recommend a Neurologist. They will send your husband for further tests and prescribe medicine to slow down the progression. Unfortunately, there is no cure. Keep an eye on your husband. He may have to stop driving soon.
Like others have said, I encourage you to find a geriatrician for your husband. I thought a primary care doctor would be just fine for my dad after he was diagnosed with mild dementia. But as my dad's symptoms progressed, the PCP quickly became worthless. Dad would tell him everything is fine, I don't have incontinence, nothing's wrong, etc. Despite me sending notes via MyChart and shaking my head "no" during appointments, the clinician ignored me. It escalated to the point of me filing a complaint and the medical center canceling all of my father's appointments. (Sigh.) With our new geriatrician, it's been like night and day. He listens to and responds to my updates on my father's condition, acting accordingly. If you have an academic medical center near you, see if they have a memory care center that conducts evaluations for dementia. The advice given by others about finding a neurologist is important, too. Sending you good thoughts.
Just like as new parents seek out a pediatrician even before their baby arrives, a geriatrician should be sought out as someone begins to age. I think ours only takes patients 65+ but others may take patients a bit younger.
I agree... it has been night and day for us as well, even though we loved our family practitioner... in fact he is the one who recommended it.
Just like an infant has special needs, especially in medication and diagnoses, so do seniors. Infants and Seniors are at the far ends of average and need to be treated accordingly.
People are so different with how they initially present dementia but very early signs with my mother were: Slow gait, unsteadiness. Suspicion, paranoia, fear. Overwhelmed by bills, paperwork. Irritability. Staying up all night, sleeping all day. Started saying she could hear music.
My mother is showing similar symptoms and she hasn't been diagnosed yet: Suspicion, paranoia, and fear are at the top. She is suspicious of everyone around her.
Auditory hallucinations - she thinks she hears the neighbors singing, talking about her, and repeating things she says in her house. I can confirm there are no voices. The auditory hallucinations also fuel her paranoia.
There are nights she will stay up watching YouTube or trying to hear what the neighbors are saying about her.
Lots of irritability and anxiety. Making mountains out of molehills. Creating conflict where none existed.
IMHO "Spotting" mild dementia symptoms in a spouse is not easy. In our case I mistakenly interpreted many symptoms as my husband being stubborn. He was doing things that caused me to easily lose my patience with him. Hindsight has definitely been better than realizing it up front, especially since his behavior was not always consistent. He often responded appropriately then on other days he did not seem to comprehend many things that I thought he should. It sounds like you may be trying to come to grips with what you have been told while looking for the reality of what you have been told... which is how I felt in the beginning.
I have found a geriatrician to be the best primary care provider to monitor my husband's progression. It may be too early but at some point you may want to consider an evaluation by a neuro-psychologist who can do a thorough evaluation and give insights to the possible type of dementia he may have if indeed he does.
I saw your comment about how his hearing may have affected his testing. On one of my husband's tests, he drew a clock that was hardly recognizable and I knew he could do better and it unnerved me that he had gone down so fast. Turned out, neither of us realized until later that he was doing it without his reading glasses! The next time when we expected he would be given the test, we made sure he had the glasses with him... amazingly he did a much better job! So consider that test purely as a screening test and not a definitive diagnosis until he is examined by someone with more experience. In the meantime I suggest you make mental notes of things he does that have begun to annoy you because they may be subtle hints at symptoms. This way you will be more prepared for a discussion at his appointments... and hopefully you can be more patient with him if/when you do become more annoyed.
The bottom line being both are valuable and you would need to know what test was given to understand what the score meant. Mild dementia is often described as the phase where the individual has some problems, probably processes slowly, and with routines is able to care for themselves. They may frequently misplace things, have some word finding or memory problems. Probably not noticed by casual acquaintances. It is also called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and does not always lead to dementia. Studies show that only 10-15% of individuals diagnosed with MCI go on to develop dementia each year.
An OT (occupational therapist) focuses on tasks of everyday living and might be administering a general cognitive screen such as the Mini-Mental , SLUMS, or MoCA depending on the referral question but more likely would be doing more specific and performance assessments regarding daily living skills such as finance, driving, planning or global cognition as it affects self-care and safety. While a neuropsychologist is more about diagnosis and general suggestions, occupational therapists focus more on safety, set-up, and modifications to the environment to allow more successful participation and mitigation of some behavioral issues.
IMO a PCP knows a little about everything and a lot about nothing. They are not experts in Dementia. Neurologists are. You need to know at least what type so proper meds can be given.
My husband too is almost deaf. He too has lost hearing in one ear but does well with a hearing aide in the other. I think only because his hearing loss has been a lifetime thing and he has adjusted. He can read lips to a point. I have noted that his brothers, whose hearing has gone in the last few years, act like they don't hear as well and I don't think their hearing is as bad.
I agree. Doctors are often placed on a pedestal but they are human and make mistakes like anyone else. Like any other profession you have the best in their field who specialize in certain areas and others who are the equivalent of ambulance chasers. They did what they needed to do to get through medical school and not much else. I had to come to terms that my mom’s PCP meant well but was clueless about geriatric conditions. I figured out my mom has dementia before her doctor who misdiagnosed her with bipolar and schizophrenia in her late 70s! I plan to take my mom to a geriatric physician in several months who should be able to provide more insight and solutions.
Thank you for the responses. He is also hard of hearing, a cochlear implant in the right ear, completely deaf in the left. Some of what he missed were in the story, saying “June” instead of Jill as the woman’s name, for example. I have seen signs, though mild, particularly in knowing what day it is and occasionally confused with the directions in our retirement community. we have an appointment with a neurologist but not until May, the soonest we could get the appointment.
You can opt to take him to his primary doctor. What are hoping to learn from a neuro exam? Take him to his primary first while you wait for the neuro appointment. May is a long ways off. The test the OT gave him is probably the one that assesses his executive function. Is he still driving? Is this why he took the test through an OT?
As far as symptoms go, it will depend on what kind of dementia your husband has. vascular and Lewy Body dementia are the 2 most aggressive of all the dementias with a life expectancy of just 5-7 years, while Alzheimer's being the slowest progressing dementia can go on for 20+ years. And I can only imagine that you are already spotting your husbands dementia in many different ways, whether it be him misplacing things, forgetting his words, being paranoid or incontinent, falling a lot, no longer being able to read or comprehend the spoken word to just name a few of the many symptoms of dementia. Time now to educate yourself about this horrific disease, so you will be better prepared for what is to come. I always recommend the book The 36 Hour Day, and Teepa Snows(a dementia expert)videos on YouTube as a good place to start. Best wishes as you take this very difficult journey with your husband.
My Mom recently scored 15 out of 30 and she has moderate impairment. Some days she is better than others. Some days she is great in the morning and bad in th afternoon. When you are seeing symptoms (and not just a test result) regularly, your LO probably has moderate demential already.
That doesn't sound mild to me. Please ask him what test he administered. Most common of the 30 questions type is SLUMS or MoCa. Look those tests up on youtube and you will actually see a woman there who goes through the questions on both. They are the simple ones you hear about all the time. They are the ones with the drawing a clock and setting it for a certain time, the three animals, the "remember these words and repeat them back", the "spell Forum backwards" type things. They are very easy for the average person to do and missing one third of them indicates more than mild dementia to me.
What further followup is planned. It is important that hubby now sees a neuro-psychiatric specialist. There are many types of dementia and they manifest in many different ways and you need as good, as professional, as solid a diagnosis as you can now get.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Dementia doesn't stay mild. Don't think "supposedly", think, "What do we do next?"
Get his vision checked. Even a mild deficit will impair attention and responsiveness, as well as interfere with communication for someone who is visually dependent. Is he losing his sense of smell? That is another sign of dementia.
He obviously has some functional impairments or he would not be working with an OT. Make a plan for him to stop driving ASAP! Make plans for his long term care while he can still participate. Get help and support for yourself. Get him diagnosed, so you know what to expect. Sending you both virtual hugs!
My Ex climbed telephone poles for 30 years. That takes extreme physical strength and balance. I noticed (after he retired) he'd get lost and can't find his car. He called me several times to come help him find it. I was clueless how bad that was. Then not paying his bills, after being a stickler his whole life. Then I walked into a health hazard condo that almost gagged me, after being a neat freak his entire life. THAT did it. I took him to a Doctor the next day.
At that point, as agreed between her and my brother, she gave up her car keys and relied on public transportation to get around, with my brother on call for transportation, if she so desired (she didn't).
I agree... it has been night and day for us as well, even though we loved our family practitioner... in fact he is the one who recommended it.
Just like an infant has special needs, especially in medication and diagnoses, so do seniors. Infants and Seniors are at the far ends of average and need to be treated accordingly.
Slow gait, unsteadiness.
Suspicion, paranoia, fear.
Overwhelmed by bills, paperwork.
Irritability.
Staying up all night, sleeping all day.
Started saying she could hear music.
Suspicion, paranoia, and fear are at the top. She is suspicious of everyone around her.
Auditory hallucinations - she thinks she hears the neighbors singing, talking about her, and repeating things she says in her house. I can confirm there are no voices. The auditory hallucinations also fuel her paranoia.
There are nights she will stay up watching YouTube or trying to hear what the neighbors are saying about her.
Lots of irritability and anxiety. Making mountains out of molehills. Creating conflict where none existed.
I have found a geriatrician to be the best primary care provider to monitor my husband's progression. It may be too early but at some point you may want to consider an evaluation by a neuro-psychologist who can do a thorough evaluation and give insights to the possible type of dementia he may have if indeed he does.
I saw your comment about how his hearing may have affected his testing. On one of my husband's tests, he drew a clock that was hardly recognizable and I knew he could do better and it unnerved me that he had gone down so fast. Turned out, neither of us realized until later that he was doing it without his reading glasses! The next time when we expected he would be given the test, we made sure he had the glasses with him... amazingly he did a much better job! So consider that test purely as a screening test and not a definitive diagnosis until he is examined by someone with more experience. In the meantime I suggest you make mental notes of things he does that have begun to annoy you because they may be subtle hints at symptoms. This way you will be more prepared for a discussion at his appointments... and hopefully you can be more patient with him if/when you do become more annoyed.
Mild dementia is often described as the phase where the individual has some problems, probably processes slowly, and with routines is able to care for themselves. They may frequently misplace things, have some word finding or memory problems. Probably not noticed by casual acquaintances. It is also called mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and does not always lead to dementia. Studies show that only 10-15% of individuals diagnosed with MCI go on to develop dementia each year.
My husband too is almost deaf. He too has lost hearing in one ear but does well with a hearing aide in the other. I think only because his hearing loss has been a lifetime thing and he has adjusted. He can read lips to a point. I have noted that his brothers, whose hearing has gone in the last few years, act like they don't hear as well and I don't think their hearing is as bad.
we have an appointment with a neurologist but not until May, the soonest we could get the appointment.
And I can only imagine that you are already spotting your husbands dementia in many different ways, whether it be him misplacing things, forgetting his words, being paranoid or incontinent, falling a lot, no longer being able to read or comprehend the spoken word to just name a few of the many symptoms of dementia.
Time now to educate yourself about this horrific disease, so you will be better prepared for what is to come.
I always recommend the book The 36 Hour Day, and Teepa Snows(a dementia expert)videos on YouTube as a good place to start.
Best wishes as you take this very difficult journey with your husband.
Please ask him what test he administered. Most common of the 30 questions type is SLUMS or MoCa. Look those tests up on youtube and you will actually see a woman there who goes through the questions on both. They are the simple ones you hear about all the time. They are the ones with the drawing a clock and setting it for a certain time, the three animals, the "remember these words and repeat them back", the "spell Forum backwards" type things. They are very easy for the average person to do and missing one third of them indicates more than mild dementia to me.
What further followup is planned. It is important that hubby now sees a neuro-psychiatric specialist. There are many types of dementia and they manifest in many different ways and you need as good, as professional, as solid a diagnosis as you can now get.