Are you sure you want to exit? Your progress will be lost.
Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
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.
✔
I acknowledge and authorize
✔
I consent to the collection of my consumer health data.*
✔
I consent to the sharing of my consumer health data with qualified home care agencies.*
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
In my wife’s case her SLUMS in one year went from 15 to 3, it doesn’t get better I’m told. She still retains enough memory to wash and dry clothes minor housekeep chores, dusting washing dishes etc.. she reads a lot seldom retains what she reads, sleeps a lot is physically healthy, walks the dog short distances. She still is able to take care of bodily needs, dentures, showering. It could be worse and probably will be. I’m preparing for her future care, and doing financial calculations.
Dementia can have several types and each type is different. Ask his doctor to get you information about the specific type of dementia he has and his expected life path.
Why didn't the technician or doctor who administered the test review and explain the findings. Because they didn't I might consider having your dad re-test by a more competent and compassionate professional.
This is going to sound like a snark -- but please take the time to educate yourself to be a better advocate for your parent. Learn about dementia, alzheimer's, then make of list of questions for the PCP or specialist to be better educated to advocate.
By not asking questions or providing quirky things your father is doing is not helping his healthcare team to provide him the best care possible.
If your father has early Alzheimer's dementia, recent literature reports some interventions in diet, activity, and blood pressure may make a difference in slowing progression. As has been suggested, it's a good idea to get some more in-depth testing. If the diagnosis is Alzheimer's. please come back for some more info! There is also a newly approved drug intervention, but it's very demanding, and although approved by Medicare, currently not approved for most Medicare prescription drug plans.
Woah. A test to document changes in neurological activity! I was not familiar with that test name. I assume you have a good healthcare network and care-team.
Do look up SLUMS and MoCa testing online. They are well described and even "given" on youtube. They amount to at most some 30 questions I describe below.
My mother took a SLUMS and scored an 18. I was told she had "progressive dementia " which was true....it continued to get worse as time went on. I feel it was vascular dementia because there were signs of stroke on her CT scan. There are no meds to slow the progression, only meds to control the symptoms such as anxiety, depression and agitation. Mom died 6 yrs after she was diagnosed, which is typical for vascular dementia.
You'll learn more here and from reading books like Understanding the Dementia Experienced by Jennifer Ghent-Fuller than you will from most doctors.
I find that he has trouble retrieving common words. Like he will say, 'that thing that has the time on it'. After more conversation, I realized he meant his cell phone. He does lose track of days, but since I retired so do I, so I didn't think anything of it. I can tell sometimes when I'm talking to him about a common place or person, that he pretends to remember when he really doesn't. He can remember things from when he was a kid, but not what he had for breakfast. Does this all mean that he will eventually not remember me?
Rip820, short term memory is the first to go when one has dementia. The long term memories hang on for a good while. And because every person with dementia is different, only time will tell if he will remember you or not. But even if he doesn't remember that you're his wife he will always know that you are someone special that takes care of him. Just take one day at a time, and don't worry about what lies ahead. Just enjoy whatever time you may have left with him.
Now that you know from the slums (in which you can miss a few, but not too many--the MoCa or Montreal is similar test to it and both can be viewed on youtube) that there is surely dementia here, it is important to have good neuro-psyc eval. 1. MRI may or may not be done 2. Further testing will be done. 3. Some dementias can be seen on CTs and MRI (mostly those involving vascular problems) and some cannot 4. By symptoms in early dementia there can be further evaluation of symptoms regarding swallow, balance, hallucinations and etc. to ascertain what kind of dementia this is. There are more than a few: Alzheimer's, FTD (fronto temporal), Lewy's Bodies Dementia, and etc). This is the time to be certain that the POA or next of kin is present. If no POA and Dad still can understand and wishes to confer it upon family member now is the time while he can still understand, and before it is too late. Getting guardianship is expensive. You will then ask your questions about the progression. I would better say "guesses" as with dementia we are still sadly in the realms of guesswork. I am so sorry this is happening, but if we live long enough (and I am 82 now) it is coming for us all. Doesn't make it easier for YOU , and you have my best wishes.
Actually nothing, which is why I'm confused, as if ,"oh well, thats life". No mention of where to go from here. I didn't even know what questions to ask.
My Mom s 95 and scored 15 out of 30 on the MOCA test for executive function. She lives next door to me and is semi-independent (she can still do some of her ADLs). Arthritis keeps her from doing more. She just stopped driving this summer.
But I see a more rapid advancement of her dementia with each passing month or two now: memory lapses, confusion, confabulations, paranoia, poor judgement, lack of empathy, increasing childishness, loss of sense of time. There is nothing really to slow its progress (my Uncle was given Aricept and it worked for a very short time and then not at all).
If you look at the menu header on this page and see Resources, the drop-down menu will include Caregiving Topics. You can find lots of info about the many types of dementia there.
Keep coming back to this useful forum whenever you need information or support. I wish you peace in your heart on this journey.
Loss of sense of time… interesting because I can’t tell if MIL has lost time or if MIL who doesn’t leave the house and has the same schedule every day doesn’t realize time has passed because all of her days blend into each other. Or is that the same thing?
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.
she reads a lot seldom retains what she reads, sleeps a lot is physically healthy, walks the dog short distances. She still is able to take care of bodily needs, dentures, showering.
It could be worse and probably will be.
I’m preparing for her future care, and doing financial calculations.
This is going to sound like a snark -- but please take the time to educate yourself to be a better advocate for your parent. Learn about dementia, alzheimer's, then make of list of questions for the PCP or specialist to be better educated to advocate.
By not asking questions or providing quirky things your father is doing is not helping his healthcare team to provide him the best care possible.
You'll learn more here and from reading books like Understanding the Dementia Experienced by Jennifer Ghent-Fuller than you will from most doctors.
Best of luck to you.
And because every person with dementia is different, only time will tell if he will remember you or not. But even if he doesn't remember that you're his wife he will always know that you are someone special that takes care of him.
Just take one day at a time, and don't worry about what lies ahead. Just enjoy whatever time you may have left with him.
1. MRI may or may not be done
2. Further testing will be done.
3. Some dementias can be seen on CTs and MRI (mostly those involving vascular problems) and some cannot
4. By symptoms in early dementia there can be further evaluation of symptoms regarding swallow, balance, hallucinations and etc. to ascertain what kind of dementia this is. There are more than a few: Alzheimer's, FTD (fronto temporal), Lewy's Bodies Dementia, and etc).
This is the time to be certain that the POA or next of kin is present.
If no POA and Dad still can understand and wishes to confer it upon family member now is the time while he can still understand, and before it is too late. Getting guardianship is expensive.
You will then ask your questions about the progression. I would better say "guesses" as with dementia we are still sadly in the realms of guesswork.
I am so sorry this is happening, but if we live long enough (and I am 82 now) it is coming for us all. Doesn't make it easier for YOU , and you have my best wishes.
What did the doctor say?
But I see a more rapid advancement of her dementia with each passing month or two now: memory lapses, confusion, confabulations, paranoia, poor judgement, lack of empathy, increasing childishness, loss of sense of time. There is nothing really to slow its progress (my Uncle was given Aricept and it worked for a very short time and then not at all).
If you look at the menu header on this page and see Resources, the drop-down menu will include Caregiving Topics. You can find lots of info about the many types of dementia there.
Keep coming back to this useful forum whenever you need information or support. I wish you peace in your heart on this journey.