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That is exactly why I decline the Medicare Annual Wellness Exam. I will not take the memory test. I have watched the change in the way my husband is treated at our internist’s office since his first one 3 years ago. Yes, he was diagnosed with MCI and now has progressed to Dementia, but his doctor was insistent that he needed to stop driving immediately although he was still very competent. Dementia patients should not be lumped all together. They do not all lose their capabilities in the same way. Even now my husband still drives short distances to places he is very comfortable going to around our town. He still drives his tractor. He is a very careful, safety conscious person. His neurologist told me that when I felt it was time for him to stop driving that would be the time to hang up his keys. Had I insisted he stop when his internist thought he should based on a memory test score his life would have stopped having purpose. Yes, every time they give him the memory test his scores have dropped, as expected, but his problem area besides short term memory is communication, finding the words needed to hold a conversation. He is still very capable in many other areas. I have determined after watching him stress out over the annual that I would spare him and myself of that going forward.
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I don’t do the wellness exam either. They know my meds, my body.. and I also have adrenal insufficiency so depending on the day I may not do well, and get a label. I haven’t colored my hair since Covid and I surely feel the difference in the way the world treats me!! I often run to grab the door for others and help anyone who needs it. I am young at heart, agile, flexible, and I am beyond grateful to have overcome medical obstacles. We do label each other, don’t we.. all ages. I hope to stay a young 71!
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You are absolutely spot on.
There are so many factors in how each individual brain ages that an accurate and reliable test is nearly impossible until a dementia is so far advanced, everyone knows the person for more than a once a year visit to the doctor, what is going on. Those closest to the person will pick up on some issue; or the person themselves will first notice it and compensate - which is usually the case, until the person can no longer think up ways to compensate.
Add on top of that the fact there are so many reasons for onset of memory loss...many which can be fixed, such as medications that cause slow thinking, not enough sleep, diet, STRESS, exercise.
My theory is that the longer we live the MORE files of information input (data) our brains have to process and go through to come up with a thought.
I believe each human brain has a limited capacity to process and wade through all that data and that capacity is very individualized.
Some dementias are related to blood flow to the brain; some dementias are related to a disease process of neurons and neuron chemical connection capabilities; and I truly believe some "dementias" are simply an individual's brain reaching the limits of that individual's data processing speed and accuracy.
A person can not think clearly even when one's blood sugar is too high or low; or they haven't had enough sleep; or don't have the right combination of vitamins and minerals on board due to a poor diet.
Dementia is far from being simple and one size fits all.
Your husband is blessed.