The first signs of dementia can seem “normal.” Falling for scams, gambling when you always lose, and occasionally forgetting to pay bills can be overlooked. Other early signs, such as getting lost, forgetting words, and no longer being able to identify smells, might seem like a normal part of aging. For some, like me, getting lost is normal. I worry when I forget a word or almost fall for a scam.
If you are worried, there are some quick exams available. One is the Mini Mental State Exam; Ohio State has a Self-Administered Geriatric Exam (SAGE) test, and there are other variants. The most reliable is drawing a clock. If you or a loved one have trouble drawing a clock, you should be concerned.
These short tests are helpful, but it is common for people with dementia to know that they will be examined and do well. Many doctors won’t diagnose someone if they miss only a few questions. Missing questions can be significant. If you or a loved one miss questions on a mental exam, you may want to pay privately and get a thorough neuroglial exam. Unfortunately, Medicare rarely pays for more than the most cursory of exams. This means that many, like my husband and his mother, already have a form of dementia (for both it was Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia) but are told they are okay.
When you are living with dementia and don’t know it, you don’t prepare, and you don’t know why so many little things in your life are going wrong. Often, you are losing money due to small scams, bad money management, or a loved one “helping” you while they steal from you. If you knew, you would protect yourself while you were still able.
Dementia has no treatment and no cure, and it slowly takes away your ability to take care of yourself. You need to prepare as soon as you can so that you don’t end up in court with the state taking over your life and someone you don’t know making decisions for you.
If you are worried, give me a call.
