My mom is 95 and has obvious memory issues for over a year. Is it necessary to bring mom to a neurologist to get reason for dementia?

At age 90, NO reason to bring in a neurologist. It's great that she's only taking vitamins at age 90. No need to bring in "maybe" thoughts from a "professional". Maybe adding this "textbook drug" will help her stay as lucid as she is until she's 103 years old. And you succumb to the suggestions. Then health issues crop up because of some "textbook doctoring".

Carry on, as is. I think you already know the answer to your question.

They are right. At her Age, Even Younger and Of Course, Older. Demnetia will many times set in. Healthy is better too Of Course, As long as she is Eating and Functioning as Needed.

I agree w/ 'disgustedtoo'
There are many dementias. What if mom has B12 deficiency? thyroid out of kilter?]
Start with a good work up from her MD....or from a gerontologist or neurologist. Keep records. Weigh every visit; try to keep the annual physical going to monitor trends. As communication becomes less...finding problems can be simplified some by knowing her 'norms' Doing annual lab work may find that something else is going on too. If the time comes to use hospice, for instance, you will find qualifying much easier if you can show downward trends in the albumin levels..

If the physician assessing your mom - does say Alzheimer's...and you have done your research and feel that something isn't adding up - say so. Help them dig. Folks can have a mixed dementia - Alzheimer's + vascular, for instance. Be reasonable...by asking yourself what you would want your son/daughter to do for you in this situation.
Don't throw in the towel yet.

There is no scan that is definitive as to what type of dementia. There us a relatively new amyloid pet scan that is showing promise.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324877.php#1

Yes. A neurologist can order an M.R.I., which is the gold standard to detect for forms of dementia.

First step should be a thorough physical with her regular doctor. There are other conditions that can cause dementia-like symptoms and most are treatable. UTI is one, and is easy to test for. Given you state your mother has had memory issues for over a year, it isn't likely due to a UTI as that would by now have caused much more serious problems. There's no harm in testing for it though, esp since it is generally part of a thorough exam. BTW, when I joined this forum and read all the "test for UTI" comments, I was skeptical. When mom had severe sun-downing due to her first UTI at the MC facility, I was a convert!!! Since then, 2 more UTIs have caused night-time bed wetting. Once treated, the other issues go away. The exam should include a mini-mental exam, which can identify cognitive issues. Despite being in MC for 2+ years, our doc office tried to test mom - between dementia and hearing issues, it was a waste of time! My exam a while later, they tested me!!

If there are no medical issues found, how to proceed is dependent on how she is doing. If it is dementia and she only has short term memory issues, she is only in the early stages. Progression is unique for each person. While she is in this early stage, if dementia is indicated, I would read everything you can about dementia, symptoms, stages, how to deal with various symptoms, behaviors, etc. Being armed with information will help you during the progression. It was how I learned about it and it enabled me to recognize what was going on and how to deal with it - diversions, redirecting focus, not arguing, explaining or correcting, just learn to go with the flow!

The reason why someone has developed dementia-like symptoms would only apply if testing proved the symptoms to be caused by something else, not dementia. They don't fully understand at this point WHY someone gets dementia (exceptions may be repeated concussions or vascular, which can limit blood supply in the brain and can cause atrophy.)

There is no real treatment for dementia, only to counteract symptoms. IF your mom starts to have some serious issues, then consider more testing and/or neurologist. Given her great health and some memory issues, I wouldn't subject her to any extensive tests.

The only reason to determine the type of dementia is for LBD, which has a different progression and can be made worse with some medications. Generally, based on symptoms and behaviors, it is possible to differentiate in the earlier stages without invasive testing. Otherwise, testing isn't going to help much.

Keep mom as active as possible. Include socialization if possible (some become reclusive.) Exercise, even just a good walk every day or so, is beneficial. Have her participate in any/all home activities that she can physically manage - this keeps her active, stimulates her, makes her feel productive (even if you have to redo whatever later, when she isn't watching, just like with kids!)

My mother was diagnosed with non-specified dementia in 2016. To this day I have no idea exactly what type it is, but I do know it's not Alzheimer's b/c her MRI and CT scans were clear of the plaques they do see in the brain when that disease is present. In any event, it's an ugly thing whatever it is. I have never found the need to find out 'what type' of dementia it is, so we leave it alone.

My Mom's doctor told us that the only way to diagnose Altzheimer's is with an MRI. That is a grueling test for a younger person. Forgetaboutit. Who cares. But a diagnosis of dementia is enough for potential hospice and other care. A simple memory test is given for dementia. Do it.

Please take your mom to a neurologist since there so many stages of dementia. You need to know her diagnosis and how to move forward with her care.

There are no conclusive tests for dementia. Dementia describes a set of behaviors, not a physical diagnosis. Some people with no physical symptoms exhibit dementia. Some people with a lot of physical symptoms, brain shrinkage and spotting for example, exhibit no dementia behavior.

It's not that simple. Mom has seen various doctors, neurologists and psychiatrists, not a simple one has written a diagnosis of dementia anywhere. They just list the symptoms.

A doctor who specializes in care of older people - geriatric specialist - will be able to advise you of best practices and medications to manage mom's care. It would be helpful to have a baseline, "well", examination so the doctor can know what "best health" looks like in your LO. Then, he/she can compare notes to address problems as they pop up.

By the way, so glad to hear that your mom is doing so well.

I would take mom to a geiatric specialist in neurology for an assessment
This will help with legal questions later

If your mom has not been evaluated, it would be beneficial to have a clear diagnosis- for treatment recommendations.

By the way, the testing for my Mom was not grueling. I wrote notes telling what I had seen. He gave Mom a small physical, mainly testing reflexes. Had her stand and ran a few little tests for balance, etc. Asked her questions, do a few memory tests. We weren't there quite an hour. She went back for an EEG. No, changing of clothes. She took it all in stride.

I would for no other reason than getting a confirmed diagnosis. Reason for the dementia, a mute point really. Because no matter the reason, there is no cure. There are some dementia's it helps to know which one. Like Lewy Body. It effects the frontal lobe where emotions are. These people may suffer violent behaviour.

If you have POA and it says it takes effect when the person is found incompetent, you may want that letter to help put the POA in effect.
I would want a neurologist involved if Mom needed any meds for anxiety or violent tendencies. I took Mom once a year for a while then the Dr. told me there was no reason to come back. It was just allowing nature to take its course.

No, if it were my mom I would leave her alone. Why subject her to an evaluation for what you already know? After all, medications have side effects so if she's content and not exhibiting negative behaviors, leave well enough alone. Enjoy her while you can! I wish I still had my mom to enjoy.

There are lots of different medications that can be taken to improve condition and minimize systems of dementia, as well as delay progression of disease. My mom has had dementia for last 10 plus years. She over 100 yo now and still healthy and manageable at home. Good luck!

Our neurologist told us the same thing regarding my MIL however, we find it important to have an alzheimer specialist established, seeing him annually unless there are problems. There is no cure. However he was needed for his expertise in establishing the exact diagnosis as we know there are so many types of dementia that exhibit different symptoms. Both my MIL AND FIL have different types of dementia. It helps us the family explain the behavior they exhibit to the public, family and friends. The Alzheimer's neurologist team is also there to help when problems with specific health and behavior issued arise. I feel they should be paired with a geriatric internal medicine doc.

i would definitely go to a neurologist there are medications that help a lot with the symptoms of dementia. Took my mom at 88 the testing was a simple question and answer process no stress involved mom actually had fun with it. Neurologist put her on namenda. Last summer primary care said at her age ‘95’ might as well take her off namenda not necessary anymore, she went down hill fast, after 6 weeks I put her back on namenda it took over a month but she is back up to her old self. I am not an advocate for drugs but when they can improve the quality of life as much as this one has for my mom I say definitely talk with neurologist and get their opinion. Age is just a number don’t let anyone tell you “well at her age”. My mother will be 96 this year and still enjoying life, yes she has severe dementia and some days are better then others but she is always happy and pain free so to me that’s what really matters. Have a blessed day and enjoy all the moments while you can.

Hello,  I've been told the exact same thing - it is sad but very true.  Conversely, that is a blessing that your mom is still in good health and does not take other medication.  Keep on keeping on with your mom; you'll be blessed for it.

Good Day.

First of all, how lucky for your mom (and you) that she has got to this age with minor health issues. That's huge!
While it's true that the reason for the dementia is not really important, there are reasons to track her memory loss.
I don't think she needs a neurologist, she needs a gerontologist. For the rest of her life, the gerontologist can help both of you to make sure she's in the best health overall health possible. Definitely limit the number of doctors she sees; a gerontologist is the right doctor for an elderly person.

You might check to see if your mom has urinary tract infections. There is a monthly medicine that can be given so she won't continue to get them and thus get worse mentally. An infection like that causes those poisons to affect your brain. Every time my mom got another bad one, we lost even more of her. I would check into that. Also, make sure she is getting enough baths and showers. And, there are some foods and activities that might help her. And, being dehydrated affects your brain too. Is she drinking plenty of water? It's an awful feeling when your parent doesn't recognize you. I would do some things to at least slow down the loss of memory if I could.

I think the only time to subject someone to the tests would be to confirm a diagnosis of Lewy Body dementia. The reason this is important is that there are some medications that a person with LBD should not take.
If it is early in the diagnosis there are medications that can SLOW the progression but eventually they will stop working.
There are "typical" signs, symptoms to look for or expect with some forms of dementia so that might give you a "heads up" with what might be next in the progression. If you want that as a guidebook as to what might happen in the next 6 months it might help. On the other hand sometimes trips are more rewarding if you don't have a guidebook and you discover territory on your own.
After my Husband was diagnosed, and I/we did not have a lot of testing done, I sort of came to the conclusion after a few years that he probably also had Vascular Dementia along with the Alzheimer's that had been diagnosed. There was no way I was going to put him through testing to confirm. I just kept in the back of my head that at any point he could have a stroke that would possibly kill him before the Alzheimer's would.
Ultimately your call, or yours and moms if she can still make some decisions if you want a full battery of tests done. But I would not put anyone through more than they are comfortable doing.

Good morning concerned daughter. I'm so impressed that health professionals came out to you in such poor answers.I AM a HHA for over 30 years and my way to get things work with the Alzheimer's and dementia clients it's using their abilities.WHATEVER PART OF THE BODY AND BRAIN THAT IT'S LEFT.I had many clients...and my actual since 9/2/2017 was doing Horrible with DEMENTIA.WHAT DO THEY REALLY NEED? To me it's a great team, Empathy and ecxecution.NO MATTER TO WHAT LEVEL.My CLIENT only wanted to sleep...Now she go to singing classes...wash dishes,teak amazing showers twice to three times a week... allow visitors,goes to appointments,read the NY times back and forth...Your mom Just need to used all in her power to keep on going...FORGET WHAT PROFFESIONALS TELL U ABOUT HER...you know her better than anybody.When washing clothes ask to please help folding and accommodate laundry...include her in everything she can safely engaged.My client DR. IS VERY IMPRESSED OF HOW SHE HAS PROGRESSED.Please let your mom use whatever is left of her brain,body and soul.That should be her prescription.NOT TO LOOK FOR anything else. Let her enjoy what ever she can.Belive me you will see progress.Keep is posted...Have an awesome journey with mom...and also educated those involved in her care ...let them know that we are her assistants and we will make sure mam needs to use what ever it's left from head to toe.GOD BLESS ...AMEN

Im no physician however I have worked in the memory care field for over fifteen years. My thoughts are that you should identify the type of dementia your Mother has, as some forms of dementia are exacerbated by some medications.

Their reason seems reasonable... until.
That is until you know that often times dementia is just a temporary symptom when an elderly person has a bladder infection. UTI’s manifest differently in older people than in younger people. No pain when urinating as when younger. My dad has moderate Alzheimer’s and I moved my mom and dad in with us about two years ago to lighten the load. When he takes a turn for the worse on memory, I know the UTI has returned. Tests are done to confirm, anabiotic’s are prescribed, and by the time the round of anabiotic’s are finished, my pop is back to his cheerful self and much of his memory has returned. I don’t think it’s fair to look at someone’s age to determine whether they should receive care or not. also, when he was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/dementia, he was put on medication and I was amazed at how much it helped! God‘s not done with your mama yet. The fact that she still has breath confirms this. We live in a culture where many have forgotten how to honor our elders. I know it’s frustrating and scary and tough to know what to do. I found that just to take one step at a time is best. Take your mom to the neurologist. The neurologist may forgo some of the tougher tests such as MRI’s and will simply prescribe some of the better medications that can help her memory. And take your mom to her physician or even urgent care and have them test for a bladder infection. You might just be pleasantly surprised, once she’s on medication how much better things will be. To answer your question more specifically… I don’t know that you really need to have an answer of why she has dementia so much as finding ways that you can help her to enjoy the days she has left to their fullest.

Your post sounds more of a bragging situation..I lost my mom at age 90 and her mind was totally eaten up with Alzheimer's unable to smile, respond the environment, and did not talk. She even forgot how to do a bowel movement, so I had to put her on a bowel schedule. She was unable to stand or walk because she forgot how. I would gladly give my soul to the devil if I were in your situation and still have my mom that long and still completely with it other than some forgetfulness. Let me assure you--there is no cure for old age.

I agree - to what end. Your mother is 95 and memory loss should be expected. Count your blessings and spend your time enjoying your mother instead of searching for reasons for the natural decline of aging.

For the most part, I agree with everyone that says a specific type of dementia won’t change much. And I’m at the point where I am questioning many other tests and treatments for my dad. One thing I’d like to say is that if it’s Lewy Body there are some commonly used medicines which can make things worse. If you are suspicious of that type of dementia maybe the primary care doc can help you compare symptoms with your LO.

Even my mom's doctor said don't bother. There is nothing that Will cure it. All they can do is chase and treat symptoms. Tests of any kind will be hard on mom. Imagine how difficult to be in the MRI tube, have to lay still for 20 minutes or longer.

But identification of the type of dementia might be possible, but not a certainty. That can only be done post mortem with an autopsy.