Dementia diagnosis

[theoutdoortype]

My 90 year old mother has severe short term memory loss. She repeats herself continually and forgets something the moment she is told it. She also finds it extremely difficult to make any decisions. However she manages to do internet banking for regular payments and has carers in to help with cooking, cleaning laundary and online shopping

She remembers family members and does not seem confused but she doesn't go out on her own.

She has had memory tests and performs well in them although I was told that in part that was due to her high level of intelligence. The person testing her would not diagnose dementia despite the obvious short term memory loss because of how she functions otherwise.

I am ok with this at the moment. She gets attendance allowance and she would never get any other funding for care as she has a good income and very substantial savings and a large amount of capital on her flat.

However I can see a progessive deterioration and I wondered whether it was worthwhile pushing for a diagnosis of dementia at any point or just carry on arranging appropriate care to suit her needs. I have LPAs in place. Would a diagnosis help in any other way?

Think the diagnosis helps you further along the line, that's what we've been told about my DF anyhow x

Dementia is one of the conditions that qualifies for a council tax reduction, which may need a formal diagnosis.

And depending on dementia type and stage there might be treatments that could slow the progression (there aren't many, and they're not very good, but what there is has to be used early - and therefore needs prompt diagnosis).

My 94 year old mother is very similar. Her short term memory is terrible exactly as you describe. But she is still very clued up in other respects, drives safely (over very short distances), enjoys a good social life, still plays a good game of bridge and manages all her own finances and household matters (like getting her boiler serviced). She seems safe - she doesn't leave the door unlocked or the hob on , for example. She is very fit physically, does her own cooking and laundry and she doesn't have any carers, apart from a cleaner and someone who cuts the lawn.

But I do wonder whether I could/should be doing more for her. I don't know how to approach it. When I very gently suggested to her she might mention her poor memory to her GP she got very upset and accused me of saying she was "going gaga".
I would be interested to know how others have approached this situation.

Thank your replies. I didn't know about the Council Tax reduction so that's useful to be aware of. I don't think that my.mum would take any of the available treatments for dementia- she is very anti medication and seems to suffer from every reported side effect (having read the leaflet first!). At the moment she only takes vitamin d albeit reluctantly.

I do think a diagnosis would upset her which is why it's a balance on how hard to push for it.

@Godesstobe I am very relieved my mum gave up driving a few years.ago!

The driving is ok actually. I drive with her regularly and I do think she is safe. And she would be absolutely ok and accept it if I told her I thought it was time to give up driving. It was the suggestion that her memory might not be great that upset her so much. I can completely understand that she would find it frightening as she has had good friends who have been totally destroyed by dementia, but I hate to think she might be missing out on medication that might help her.

That's great, it must give her a lot of independence. It does sound like.your mother is functioning well which perhaps is the most iimportant thing.

Personally I never found a diagnosis opened many doors in the very elderly (council tax excluded). My mum felt threatened and insecure by the idea of dementia and it was best that we avoided it. I'd provide enough support for her and read around it Alzheimers society were very helpful and my dad found the Contented dementia book useful.