Getting a dementia diagnosis is challenging and explaining to a doctor what’s happening to you or a loved one can be frustrating.
Physicians collaborating with National Council of Dementia Minds created a new checklist patients can use to document symptoms and establish patterns that can be vital for a faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Retired Dr. Sara Langer was a practicing neurologist before she was diagnosed with dementia. She introduced the checklist during a live free webinar.
“We felt that a more comprehensive list of symptoms would help people organize their thoughts about what they were experiencing and hopefully present them in a way that the doctors could then appreciate what they were experiencing.”
There are numerous types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and lewy body dementia.
The checklist focuses on concentration, executive function, learning and memory, language, social and physical functions.
The team believes the list can be reviewed yearly to track changes over time and can be a tool for specialists after diagnosis.
“You could bring it to appointments with social workers or physical, occupational or speech pathologists that are trying to evaluate you or help you with various problems.”
The checklist will be available online September 1st at www.dementiaminds.org
