Update on my brother
I am visiting with him now. He lives in Colorado Springs and I live in Albuquerque. I had previously called his doctor's office to rat him out on his memory loss. Today, my brother told me that he was referred to a local clinic and the appointment is in July. Yay! There is a wrinkle, naturally. He is a big Colorado Rockies fan. They are playing the Red Sox on the same day as his appointment. His appointment is in the late morning and the game starts at 1:30. He doesn't think he'll be able to get to the game in time, because baseball is more important than his health. He's going to call the clinic tomorrow to see if he can be rescheduled for the following day. We all know what the answer will be, right? Their next available appointment will likely be in four months at the earliest. Sigh. Hopefully, the person that he talks to will be able to convince him how important it is to keep the appointment.
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And now I want to scream. My brother was filling out some forms which had been sent to him by the clinic. It had nothing to do with memory loss. I looked up the clinic. They do psychotherapy and counseling! They don't even deal with memory loss or dementia! So, our first task tomorrow is to call his doctor's office and ask why they referred him there and ask for a different referral.
And then, talking to my brother, he thinks that all his problems stem from his divorce last year. I told him that he has had memory problems for at least 10 years. He doesn't think so.
So, anyway, I have gone to bed. There's nothing more that I can do today.
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Oh my, I'm so sorry. That is scream worthy. I would think the that is an incorrect referral for sure. I'm glad that your on top of this for him. In Colorado Springs I'd think they'd have multiple ALZ / Dementia doctors. And now you have one more thing to do………..
If he hasn't said it I will, thank you for trying to help out your brother.
eagle
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My brother and I went to his doctor's office today to ask about the referral. It turns out that they actually gave him two referrals - one for a therapist and the other is for a neuropsychologist. However, the neuro hasn't scheduled him for an appointment yet. Or, it was scheduled and he forgot. He left a phone message with the office and we're waiting for a call back.
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Here's the latest: the doctor still hasn't called back. I did get him to sign a HIPAA release so that I can access his records and talk freely with medical personnel. He also allowed me to administer the MOCA test. He scored a 24/30. Last December, he scored a 26. That is very sobering. He has anosognosia, just like my late husband had. He doesn't think that his problem is at all serious. Fortunately, he doesn't have the paranoia and anger that my hubby had.
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This is remarkably serendipitous for me. I just joined ALZConnected today. I see "Caring Long Distance," click, and yours is the very first post I see. My 84-year-old father is in Albuquerque, suffering in the late stages of AD, and I live a little north of Colorado Springs. I visited him just last week. The timing is striking! I started praying to meet someone from Albuquerque who is caring long-distance for someone near where I live. My prayer is being most effectively answered! I am praying for you and your brother. May God—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—give you strength, and may He soften your brother's heart so he is open to receive the care and wisdom you are offering him. This must be especially difficult for you because of your late husband, may he rest in peace (my condolences).
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My mom missed so many appointments or said she had an appointment but didn’t know where. It was a real mess figuring things out. I finally just gave them all my phone number. Good luck!
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Without a signed HIPAA release, they can't even call you to tell you when your loved one's appointments are. At least, I have that taken care of now.
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I care looong distance for my father. For the past 2 1/2 years I have flown back and forth from California to Colorado monthly to check in, take to dr appointments ect. I will now finally bring him here to live with me. We tried to get a referral for a neuro appointment and they referred us to UC Health in Colorado Springs who had to refer out for the testing to Brain and Body. Horrible wait list needless to say we never got in to see them after trying for over a month. It was one thing with their scheduling after another. We finally had cognitive testing done thru the VA psychologist recently. I hope you get him an appointment soon with neuro. Hang in there with the commute from Albuquerque to Springs!
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He is now scheduled for neuropsychological testing in August. That will mean two trips for me - one for the testing and the other for the results. I'm going to do it.
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just remember to take some time for yourself so you can be well rested and recharged. The back and forth can take a toll. It’s not easy. Your brother is lucky to have you.
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In between visits, I get a lot of rest because I'm not caring for anyone at this time.
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The wait times in the medicalThe wait times in the medical field are awful. When I was with my mom at the beginning of this month for her doctor's appointment he referred her to neurology, the earliest they can get him in is january. I'm hoping he's not waiting on that to make a choice whether she should go into nursing home or not, which I'm pushing for. At least for assisted living. It's so difficult and the distance makes it even harder.
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My brother has been waiting for the neuropsychologist testing since April.
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Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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