Documenting the diagnosis and stage of dementia

RetiredTeacher

My DH has been exhibiting executive function deficits for more than 5 yrs as well as physical decline. We chased a diagnosis through the drs and medical system for almost a year. The only thing they found was MCI 4 yrs ago. It has progressed. Slow walking, slow reaction time, slow processing, some difficulty finding the right words, difficulty with receptive language, and difficulty remembering things we've just discussed. We finally have an appt with the memory clinic in 2 weeks to get him formally assessed and hopefully they can tell the stage of dementia. Can you tell me what I can expect to learn about the type and stage of dementia?

Hope5757

When my MIL met with a doctor over an unrelated issue, the Dr noticed some behavior that suggested dementia. MIL was then referred to a neuropsychologist (NP).

The NP met with us together for about 30 minutes. MIL was asked various questions, including if she felt she was experiencing problems with her memory.

Then she was taken to a separate testing area for a 2 or 3 hour test. I can’t recall exactly how long.

As her caregiver, I was given a separate set of questions to answer.

About 2 months later, I (MIL’s attendance was optional) met with the NP who went over the results. I was given a 10(ish) page document and MIL was diagnosed with mixed dementia at middle stage. When I asked specifically about the 7 stage model, the NP said the three stage diagnosis was the favored method.

At the time of the middle stage diagnosis, MIL exhibited characteristics ranging from stage 3 to stage 5 on the Tam Cummings BAT scale.

https://www.tamcummings.com/tools/

GothicGremlin

Tam Cummings is great. I've also found this page to be pretty helpful. It uses the 7 stages though, not 3. It also includes the Reisberg/GDS scale, as well as life expectancy estimations by stage and type of dementia.

And the FAST scale.

harshedbuzz

IME, medical professionals use the 3-Stage Model of mild, moderate, severe when describing dementia.

Given that many PWD will showtime during a relatively brief appointment at a time of day when they're at their best, you probably know better where your DH is in terms of progression using the Tam Cummings link. The general rule of thumb is that a PWD is considered to be in the latest stage for which they have even a single symptom.

HB