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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
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By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
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If it were me I'd get a formal diagnosis, but it doesn't have to come from a neurologist (there aren't enough of them so are very busy and hard to get in for appointments). A good Primary can make the diagnosis after discounting any other causes.
Even if she doesn't have a PoA that requires a diagnosis, it will be helpful if she ever needs meds to address her symptoms.
I hope she has a PoA assigned and if not, I would encourage her to get this in place without delay.
It might depend on whether you will need a formal diagnosis for anything. For example some POA documents require an official statement/diagnosis of incapacity. Or some memory care residences may require it. It might be helpful in accessing some benefits, I'm not sure. It's not going to help with treatment, unfortunately, since there really isn't much out there.
In my State FPOA is automatically immediate unless stipulated differently by the person assigning it. Medical needs a doctor saying the person is not longer competent to make informed decisions.
You might want to see if your community has something like a “center for aging“ where there is a doctor who specializes in the aging population. A neurologist might not be necessary. when my mother was originally diagnosed, that’s how we did it—through simple cognitive testing in the doctor’s office. Once she had been diagnosed with at least mild cognitive impairment, she went on donepizil and the doctor said as long as she didn’t progress, that would indicate that it was not Alzheimer’s. This type of medical practice has a lot of information for you as well as for your mother. I think you might find it very helpful to find someone who specializes in aging like this.
I believe knowledge is power. You may learn valuable information from the neurologist visit and testing. This can be a long journey and knowing more can prove helpful
Make sure she has legal paperwork in place granting someone POA first, because once a person is diagnosed with dementia they are considered legally incapable of managing their own legal or business affairs.
I am a bit surprised that whomever prescribed the MRI didn’t offer a diagnosis.
If your mom is already in a safe situation and manageable — in assisted living, not handling her own finances, not driving, with people nearby to help with meals, laundry, fixing things, etc — and she’s not causing problems for herself or others — diagnosis is less important.
OTOH if she is living alone, acting dangerously or inappropriately — giving money away, driving and getting lost or having accidents, at risk of leaving burners on or doors open all night or wandering, etc etc., and resisting your taking steps to stop all this — diagnosis would be quite valuable as it gives the person with POA the power to take charge.
You don’t mention any of this, but If she is prone to rage or combative or obsessive behaviors or staying up all night getting into mischief, meds can help and for those you need a diagnosis.
Depends on what you would need the formal diagnosis for. The insurance company sent their own nurse out and she gave my LO a brief verbal test and that was all that was needed for a formal diagnosis to have care covered for the insurance purposes. My LO didn't even know that's why the questions were being asked.
I took mom to a neurologist which was a total waste of time. Her PCP's PA was far more versed in the everyday life and difficulties of dementia than a doctor who sat behind a desk was. When I asked the Neuro if it could be Parkinson's mom had, she asked mom to touch each of her fingers to her thumb as fast as possible. Then said Nope, it's not Parkinson's. 🙄
Neurologists usually have waits for appointments, so I suggest getting an appointment scheduled. You don't know how her condition is going to progress, and you may need a specialist for symptoms that arise. It will be much better to already have her established as a patient because they will address your concerns more quickly than if you have to start from scratch on a waiting list. Different forms of dementia manifest symptoms in different ways and may require a specialist to prescribe treatment. Better safe than sorry, I think.
Does anyone have your mother's POA? If so read what is required for it to be activated. It may require a written formal diagnosis.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
If it were me I'd get a formal diagnosis, but it doesn't have to come from a neurologist (there aren't enough of them so are very busy and hard to get in for appointments). A good Primary can make the diagnosis after discounting any other causes.
Even if she doesn't have a PoA that requires a diagnosis, it will be helpful if she ever needs meds to address her symptoms.
I hope she has a PoA assigned and if not, I would encourage her to get this in place without delay.
I am a bit surprised that whomever prescribed the MRI didn’t offer a diagnosis.
If your mom is already in a safe situation and manageable — in assisted living, not handling her own finances, not driving, with people nearby to help with meals, laundry, fixing things, etc — and she’s not causing problems for herself or others — diagnosis is less important.
OTOH if she is living alone, acting dangerously or inappropriately — giving money away, driving and getting lost or having accidents, at risk of leaving burners on or doors open all night or wandering, etc etc., and resisting your taking steps to stop all this — diagnosis would be quite valuable as it gives the person with POA the power to take charge.
You don’t mention any of this, but If she is prone to rage or combative or obsessive behaviors or staying up all night getting into mischief, meds can help and for those you need a diagnosis.
Does anyone have your mother's POA? If so read what is required for it to be activated. It may require a written formal diagnosis.
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