One of the greatest hurdles in getting somebody assessed with dementia is the reluctance on the part of the sufferer to admit there's something wrong. Fear is the root, and shame the offshoot.
One of the greatest hurdles in getting somebody assessed with dementia is the reluctance on the part of the sufferer to admit there's something wrong. Fear is the root, and shame the offshoot.
I have a friend who has been displaying symptoms for a while, but neither she nor her husband will admit it. Her family has been forced to write to her GP to ask him to intervene. She agreed to attend the local hospital memory clinic, but on the day her husband could not manage so she went alone.
She told her family the session went well and that the doctor had said she was fine. "They asked me my name and address," was all she said. The family are dismayed that there is no report forthcoming from the GP.
Did she really attend the clinic? Was the test too easy? Why did they do it when she was unaccompanied? All hope of getting a proper assessment - vital for putting a tailored care package in place - has evaporated.
Who can blame anyone for rushing into denial about their impending dementia? The onus is on loved ones to help them take the first step. They would be helped enormously in this unwelcome task if not only GPs but also - may I suggest - local authority carers and home helps were properly trained in how to spot the signs, and how to act on them.
They also need to be trained in tact, patience and understanding. When my own mother first began to succumb to the disease our concerns were brushed off because she was still able to dress herself.
That she had forgotten how to make tea, and was anxious and roaming the house all night, was ignored by daytime home helps who repeatedly told us they thought she was absolutely fine and did not report changes in her behaviour to their boss.
Mum's GP would come and give her a cuddle every so often, taking her pathetically grateful smiles as vindication of his inaction. Like many families, we were fearful of pushing things further. It took 14 months for her to be assessed. By the time the written report came through it was woefully out of date.
The softly-softly approach currently being adopted in Scotland is no help to anyone.
It seems to me that our approach to dementia is still much too passive. While the new proposals are to be welcomed, I suggest we go even further and introduce an annual mandatory mental health MoT for everybody reaching retirement age. That would surely help bring the dreaded D-word into the public forum and remove its awful stigma.
Early diagnosis is vital because it offers the chance to prepare for if not to prevent dementia. That will only happen if we become much more proactive in naming it in the first place.
