Mild Cognitive Impairment

John54289

This is my first post. In July 2023 I noted to family that my 81 year-old DW was having significant memory problems. In January 2024 she was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). I am particularly interested in others who have a LO diagnosed with MCI and for how many years or did it eventually progress to a more serious condition. Thanks.

LearningCurve

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/72788/mild-cognitive-impairment

Hey John. My situation is similar to yours. I like the post and look forward to reading the responses. Take care!

Timmyd

Everyone with ALZ started with MCI, but not everyone with MCI will go on to develop ALZ or other dementia. I am not aware of any way to reliably predict how any case of MCI will or will not develop, but I am not a medical professional. Be mindful of all the possible reversible causes.

My advice is to use this diagnosis as the reason to be extra kind and patient with your DW. Be very careful if you get an urge to correct her or fix it. Once we got a medical diagnosis, it changed the way we interacted with each other in a positive way. In our case MCI lasted several years (maybe 3 or 4) until it got to the point that something clearly more serious was going on.

John54289

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/240816#Comment_240816

Thanks Timmyd for the suggestions and also "In our case MCI lasted several years (maybe 3 or 4)…" That is the information I am seeking.

SDianeL

welcome to the place for info and support. I would recommend starting a list of her behaviors but don’t let her see it or tell her you are doing it. If you start seeing changes, send the list to her doctors. It helped me get a more definitive diagnosis. I would read the book “the 36 Hpur day” which helped me after my husband’s diagnosis. If you haven’t already, get Powers of attorney (DPOA and medical POA) if she can still read and sign documents. You can search for the stages of dementia and find charts that will help you determine how she may be progressing. There are 7 stages. Doctors don’t like to talk about stages because every dementia patient progresses differently and there is no way to know how someone will progress.