Why isn't the cavalry coming?

Doctors like to fix things. (Don't we all.) It has to be immensely frustrating for a doctor to diagnose dementia in a patient, knowing there's really not much they can do.

Humor (I hope):

Patient P walks into a doctor's office (D) and describes some very odd symptoms.

D: Gee, I've never encountered a case like yours, and frankly I don't know how to help.

P: Doctor, you've got to help me. This illness is driving me crazy.

D: As, I said, I don't know how to help.

P: Come on doctor, there must be something you can do.

D: Well, okay. Do this. Take off your shirt and pour some of this water over your body. Walk over to the window and open it, then lean out.

P: That's nuts. It's winter. It's freezing out. If I do that, I'll catch pneumonia.

D: Right. That I can cure.

@jehjeh said:

When my dear sister had cancer she was seen immediately by an oncologist. The social worker introduced himself and explained to us both about the support available to her. Whenever she or I expressed an interest in any of their programs or had a question someone called us within a day or two to see what they could do to help. There's a whole building devoted to cancer care through our local hospital and another across town that's part of another group of hospitals. BIG buildings!

I think this is, to some degree, an apples & oranges comparison. There is a sense of urgency around cancer. Timely identification and treatment can be the difference between a cure, living with a disease or death. Even the newest infusion meds, which are only indicated for MCI/early stage with evidence of Alzheimer's, can deliver only a delay progression by a matter of months.

Support is another issue. By the time most PWD are diagnosed, most kinds of support groups or individual supportive mental health therapy is not particularly effective around mood. And many PWD have anosognosia and would bristle at the suggestion that they'd benefit from supportive help like talk therapy. Memory Cafes are one option for PWD and a spouse/child/friend to attend together but they can be hard to find.

The type of support most caregivers need most is of a custodial nature— someone to spend time engaging their LO in order that they might attend to their own needs. This doesn't fall under the umbrella of medicine. It can be hard to find this kind of help for free. Even close friends and family members find it hard— for a whole host of reasons— to step in and help. Some PWD are not rewarding to be around and don't express any kind of gratitude.

Another difference is that people, as a group, do not focus this on this as a cause. Those big buildings are almost always named for a major donor. These tend to be people who fund cancer research and treatment in thanks or in memory. In many communities there are smaller grass-roots groups who fundraise to offer support having been through the cancer experience. You don't see that as much among those touched by dementia. Most family-survivors seem to just want to put it behind them.

HB