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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.
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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.
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I'm confused, because your profile says that you are caring for someone with Alzheimers or dementia. What kind of doctor? Have you ever asked outright, does she have dementia? Has she had a neuro cognitive workup ( i.e. several hours of verbal and paper and pencil testing that will pinpoint her deficits?
Sometimes, doctors assume patients either don't want to know, or assume that patients DO know. You may have to ask a very explicit question to get an answer. While you're at it, tell the doctor you'd like the straight story from here on in.
I'm sorry. How should you interpret the fact that your wife's doctor prescribed a dementia drug? If I were in your shoes and not inclined or able to ask the doctor, I would think that the doctor was thinking that she had dementia and might be helped by the drug. If your question is about dosage, I have no idea, not being a doctor or any kind of medical professional.
This should bump your question to the top and I hope someone will have better answers.
According to the Aricept website, 5 mg is the starting dosage. It looks like 23 mg is the recommended therapeutic dose. Aricept is for Mild, Moderate and Severe Alzheimers, according to the same website.
Aricept is a brand name for donepezil hydrochloride. It has FDA approval for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Many doctors prescribe it for any memory issues that may turn out to be dementia, without an actual dementia diagnosis, or for other kinds of dementia than Alzheimer's. The side effect rate is fairly low and low-risk, so this practice seems to be a "let's try it and see if it works" approach.
Five mg is a "starter" dose and if there are no side effects it would probably be increased.
My mother's geriatrician prescribed it when Mom had "mild cognitive impairment" but (like most drugs, darn it) it nauseated Mom and we discontinued it. Mom did go on to develop Dementia, type unspecified.
My husband did not have any "pre-dementia" period, he was into Lewy Body Dementia bang! with very little warning. His neurologist prescribed Aricept. It was very effective for him, and remained so until he died, nearly 10 years later. (It can last longer in LBD than in ALZ, because there is less brain cell death in LBD.)
I agree with the others that the best person to explain how to interpret this is the doctor who prescribed it. But even then you will only know if it works by observing your wife as she takes it, and you will only know if she has a slight memory problem or mild cognitive impairment or dementia by seeing what the future holds.
Initially this drug was thought to "slow down the progression" of dementia. I don't believe that is the current view. None of the 5 drugs the FDA has approved for treating dementia has been shown to slow down the progression of the disease. In some lucky people they do lessen the symptoms and improve quality of life. In others they are less effective.
I think many that are just beginning in the care of a loved one with dementia hope that there is a cure that will stop the wretched disease. There are some meds that may improve symptoms, but none that will stop the behaviors or the progression of the disease. Over the past years there have been many drugs tested for effectiveness in fighting dementia. One that is effective in controlling or slowing has not been found. As JG says the damage in the brain makes standard prescribing of a specific drug just a best guess by docs. If a drug does not have the anticipated result they will move on to try another.
My mom was on aricept for a long time. She did seem somewhat better when she initially started taking it and definitely didn't seem like she was getting worse. My mom had Lewy body and parkinsons so we have more mobility issues and eventually my mom stopped talking. Basically only answered yes or no. No sentences. I think the drug was helpful for my mom but she started taking very early in her dementia/Alzheimer's diagnosis. I think the earlier you take it the more beneficial it is, but I could be wrong. 5mg is what my mom was given. Good luck
I believe the current thinking among doctors is that the drug can be useful to improve function "today" (have a better day with less memory mistakes), and that it works best for people whose memory mistakes are noticeable but not severe. Being on It does not change the rate that the person will go downhill in the future. That will be up to the underlying pathological process, whatever it is. Aricept works well for some, does no harm that is known, and is certainly worth the try. It does mean that your doctor can see enough age related memory loss to try it. It does not mean that he or she knows what the exact cause is at this point, nor what the future holds.
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.
yet
Sometimes, doctors assume patients either don't want to know, or assume that patients DO know. You may have to ask a very explicit question to get an answer. While you're at it, tell the doctor you'd like the straight story from here on in.
You never did answer my direct question. I was seeking information ... not a lecture nor medical advice to me.
This should bump your question to the top and I hope someone will have better answers.
Five mg is a "starter" dose and if there are no side effects it would probably be increased.
My mother's geriatrician prescribed it when Mom had "mild cognitive impairment" but (like most drugs, darn it) it nauseated Mom and we discontinued it. Mom did go on to develop Dementia, type unspecified.
My husband did not have any "pre-dementia" period, he was into Lewy Body Dementia bang! with very little warning. His neurologist prescribed Aricept. It was very effective for him, and remained so until he died, nearly 10 years later. (It can last longer in LBD than in ALZ, because there is less brain cell death in LBD.)
I agree with the others that the best person to explain how to interpret this is the doctor who prescribed it. But even then you will only know if it works by observing your wife as she takes it, and you will only know if she has a slight memory problem or mild cognitive impairment or dementia by seeing what the future holds.
Initially this drug was thought to "slow down the progression" of dementia. I don't believe that is the current view. None of the 5 drugs the FDA has approved for treating dementia has been shown to slow down the progression of the disease. In some lucky people they do lessen the symptoms and improve quality of life. In others they are less effective.
Is that what you wanted to know?
Any comments on how soon I should/could expect to see early results in how she is reacting? Her dosage is to double after 10 days at 5 MG.