Memory Test (Screening for Dementia)

[Hunter's Moon]

Does anyone have a loved one who went through the 6-hour memory test? My mom's is scheduled for Dec. 9th and she's really worried so I'd like to give her an idea of what will be done.

 

They mentioned standardized testing to us. They didn't really elaborate beyond that.

 

She knows it is what it is. If she is diagnosed, then it is. If that makes sense. She's just worried about the intensity of it.

 

Thanks :001_smile:

[Heather in AL]

Stephanie, I am of no help, but I thought I would bump this for you since it had fallen back to page six.

 

I hope someone sees this who has an answer for you & your mom. :grouphug:

[Hunter's Moon]

Stephanie, I am of no help, but I thought I would bump this for you since it had fallen back to page six.

 

I hope someone sees this who has an answer for you & your mom. :grouphug:

 

Thanks :001_smile::grouphug:

[jennsmile]

:grouphug:

 

My mil has early onset alzheimers. And I don't remember a long test. She did have a PET scan and just though talking over her symptoms got her diagnosis.

[G5052]

She actually enjoyed it. The tester was very pleasant and kind, and she wasn't stressed afterwards at all. I wasn't there, but that's what my relatives reported who went to the meeting at the end and drove her home. Hers covered every aspect of dementia including memory, cognition, and muscle control. It involved reading something and answering questions, playing games, putting together a puzzle, talking about certain events in her life, and various other activities.

 

Sigh. Sad memories of that period, but the test did highlight in black-and-white how impared she was at the time. She had agreed to it as a way to get her driver's license back, but that didn't happen thankfully.

[Hunter's Moon]

:grouphug:

 

My mil has early onset alzheimers. And I don't remember a long test. She did have a PET scan and just though talking over her symptoms got her diagnosis.

 

She had a CT done a few months back to rule out mini strokes. My grandmother began having strokes in her 50s, but thankfully my mother isn't.

:grouphug:

She actually enjoyed it. The tester was very pleasant and kind, and she wasn't stressed afterwards at all. I wasn't there, but that's what my relatives reported who went to the meeting at the end and drove her home. Hers covered every aspect of dementia including memory, cognition, and muscle control. It involved reading something and answering questions, playing games, putting together a puzzle, talking about certain events in her life, and various other activities.

 

Sigh. Sad memories of that period, but the test did highlight in black-and-white how impared she was at the time. She had agreed to it as a way to get her driver's license back, but that didn't happen thankfully.

 

This is what we are hoping for :001_smile: She had a small test done in the office and it was ruled she needed the 6-hour. Hopefully this is the same test so we can see how impaired she is and address it accordingly.

 

Thanks :001_smile:

[DianeW88]

I never worked in Gerontology, so I don't know how they test for dementia, but a quick test that a GP friend of mine would have people do, is to name twenty different kinds of animals in a minute or less.

 

Folks with potential memory problems either can't do it, or tend to name animals like "dog", "cat", "bird", etc. Folks with no memory issues can do it within the time frame and generally will pick more "complicated" animals...."kangaroo", "penguin", "anaconda", etc.

[G5052]

This is what we are hoping for :001_smile: She had a small test done in the office and it was ruled she needed the 6-hour. Hopefully this is the same test so we can see how impaired she is and address it accordingly.

 

When Mom had it we already had a diagnosis, but she was adamant about her ability to drive and in complete denial about how bad she was. Some of the relatives were agreeing with her until they heard the results, so it helped with family dynamics as well.