Geriatric Psychologist

malibu2155

Hi,

My mom was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She is still in stage 1 and can be independent. Has anyone gone to a geriatric psychologist and did it help?? I appreciate all the help I can get. Thank you!!

harshedbuzz

@malibu2155

I'm not sure what you're asking in terms of help.

A geriatric psychologist for neurocognitive testing to determine what sort of dementia she might have and tease out the areas where she will need assistance with her IADLs?

Or do you mean a geriatric psychologist for talk therapy?

Or do you mean a geriatric psychiatrist for management of psychoactive medication?

When you say she was diagnosed but is still in stage 1; is this what her doctor told you? IME, physicians tend to use a 3-stage model based on treatment protocols whereas most caregivers/family use the 7-stage model which aligns with care needs.

DBAT (6).pdf

To answer you question. Dad did see a neuropsychologist for some testing as part of the diagnostic process. His symptoms and behaviors didn't neatly align with a specific kind of dementia, and this helped confirm his mixed dementia diagnosis.

Like most PWD, dad had some anosognosia (can look like denial but is in fact an inability to recognize deficits) and such poor reasoning and memory that talk therapy would have been wasted on him. YMMV.

Dad did have depression, anxiety and aggressive behaviors. He saw a geri psychiatrist for medication to dial that back. This doc was far more useful to us once we had the firm diagnosis.

HB

H1235

Welcome. I’m a bit confused about stage 1. I will attach a staging tool that is very helpful and this is what is generally used when referring to stages on this site. (Not that one is better just so everyone is on the same page). Since you said stage 1 I assume she is at least in the early stages regardless of the tool being used. What is it that you are hoping they would help her with? Many with dementia have anosognosia. This is the inability to recognize their symptoms or limitations. It can be very difficult! My mom never seen a geriatric psychologist, but I would think they would be helpful. Has your mom seen a lawyer yet? This was one of the first things mom’s doctor recommended. A DPOA is very important. Don’t wait. I would also recommend you learn all you can about dementia. I have attended a great article. This site is a great resource for information, questions or just to vent. Sorry I have no insights on a geriatric psychologist.

DBAT.pdf

understanding-the-dementia-experience.pdf

SDianeL

My husband saw a Neuro Psychologist at the VA for testing before diagnosis. Later his Neurologist referred him to a Geriatric Psychiatrist who managed his anti-psychotic medications for anxiety, agitation and aggression. I can’t see how a Geriatric Psychologist would have been of help but it may be worth a couple of visits to see for your Mom. I would speak to him/her before the appointment and see what the appointments would entail and what outcome they hoped for. I found that counseling didn’t help my husband because he didn’t understand the purpose and didn’t remember the meetings and suggestions they gave. A Psychologist might help you cope as a caregiver though if they are familiar with dementia. 💜