Dad has moderate alzheimers

Hi and welcome. I'm sorry for your reason to be here but pleased you found this place.

Was it your dad or the PCP who was angry? I read it as dad because you "threw him under the bus", as it were. Ideally your concerns should have been shared privately with the PCP. I always use my parents' electronic portal (I have signed HIPAA forms) or email. Others have written short notes with their concerns to be shared with the doctor before they enter the exam room. During visits, I sit behind the parent in sightline of the doctor so I can non-verbally confirm/contradict their reporting as needed.

I would do whatever is necessary to get the imagining and bloodwork done. There are conditions that have similar symptoms that are treatable if caught early. My dad had a vitamin deficiency caused by alcohol use that responded well to treatment so long as he could maintain sobriety and until his Alzheimer's hit the moderate stage. Mom had Lyme Disease; some of her symptoms improved with a course of antibiotics. A friend's mom had a tumor and a prognosis of months. Knowing this allowed her to pause her graduate studies for a semester and care for her mom.

Planning ahead for placement or taking over his IADLs, you'll need a dPOA or guardianship. If you don't have this, it's as important a step as the tests. A CELA is best here. If dad doesn't have a robust LTC policy and/or unlimited funds, you'll want to speak to the certified elder law attorney about strategies for qualifying for Medicaid in your dad's state.

If dad won't sign a POA or the lawyer deems him incompetent to sign, you'll need to obtain guardianship through the courts which is more expensive and time consuming. In both situations where someone I knew had to go the guardianship route, the judge ordered neurocognitive testing and a full medical exam as part of the process.

HB