PatLocke: It is evident per your profile that your friend is well into dementia. Perhaps her PCP can recommend a neurologist in Chesapeake, VA who has appointments available before September.
If you are concerned about safety issues at this time, call and tell the physician that there appear to be safety issues and you need the appointment for competency assessment now... they may either accommodate you or may refer you to take person to ER.... You can always without any referral take or have person transported to an ER, if you are observing questionable safety issues...related to competency....once at ER, you can confer with staff there for a competency assessment....there are some very simple ones that an appropriate licensed professional can administer....then follow up with other professionals as needed....
You might have to get guardianship once she has a diagnosis which can be expensive but added to her own bills. Only thing is that your profile lists you as a friend and that complicates things. Open enrollment starts in October for Medicare. You can go to Medicare online as a guest and look up better plans for her. Plug in her medications and zip code to look at offerings. If she is using advantage plans, scope out the bigger insurers rather than an HMO. The generally have huge networks of providers who care for geriatric issues.
From your profile:About MeI am a RN and POA for my friend Jo. She is 85 and experiencing dementia symptoms. She was recently hospitalized for broken ribs from a fall when she was ill with COVID type symptoms but refuses to admit she was in the hospital and accuses me of making it up. She also had pneumonia and end stage heart failure. Friends have stayed with her for a month and now that she has a life alert system are leaving her alone for periods. She won't allow me to stay with her. She has no family, no children, husband and brother deceased. NP told her she cannot drive which upset her. Her mother died in her 90's in MC because she became too violent to care for at home. Her insurance is a MC HMO and the only neurologist in the network cannot see her until September for competency testing. She recently did a new will but it is not finalized yet and not signed. HH nurse did the competency testing and she scored 6 out of 15. She has funds but won't spend for caregivers. Lives in a large home which is paid for on acreage, relying on a friend for upkeep. She doesn't take her medications when she is alone despite reminder calls. How else can we determine competency before September?
Your friend is obviously suffering from dementia as evidenced by her behavior and scoring on the cognitive exam. A 6 out of 15 would translate to about a 12 out of 30 on the standard MoCA or SLUMS test indicating moderate to advanced dementia at play. I'd get her to the ER the next time ANY out of the ordinary behavior occurs and exaggerate her symptoms if necessary. Call 911, speak to the EMTs about the situation and have her transported to the hospital for evaluation. At that point, get the social worker involved to say it'd be an unsafe discharge to allow this woman to go back home alone. As her POA, you can make some decisions for your friend based on her obvious deficits.
If you are needing legal proof to enact your POA and etc. then you will be waiting for this month. Her own MD can certain give you a beginning idea of where things stand. Wait times are getting worse and worse for all right now, and over the last year.
You can always without any referral take or have person transported to an ER, if you are observing questionable safety issues...related to competency....once at ER, you can confer with staff there for a competency assessment....there are some very simple ones that an appropriate licensed professional can administer....then follow up with other professionals as needed....
Your friend is obviously suffering from dementia as evidenced by her behavior and scoring on the cognitive exam. A 6 out of 15 would translate to about a 12 out of 30 on the standard MoCA or SLUMS test indicating moderate to advanced dementia at play. I'd get her to the ER the next time ANY out of the ordinary behavior occurs and exaggerate her symptoms if necessary. Call 911, speak to the EMTs about the situation and have her transported to the hospital for evaluation. At that point, get the social worker involved to say it'd be an unsafe discharge to allow this woman to go back home alone. As her POA, you can make some decisions for your friend based on her obvious deficits.
Best of luck.