Are you sure you want to exit? Your progress will be lost.
Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
✔
I acknowledge and authorize
✔
I consent to the collection of my consumer health data.*
✔
I consent to the sharing of my consumer health data with qualified home care agencies.*
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
Would an Memory test like on the website memtrax be useful for a caregiver. I mean it is important to take this and detect changes in memory early, but would a caregiver actually use it?
I don't know about an online test, but I don't see why not. The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Center recently offered free screening tests to the public. Their slots were quickly filled. When you are caregiving for someone with dementia you start to question yourself. Are my little slips normal or am I losing it? It can be a relief to test okay.
I think Vegaslady is correct. I know the long I care for my mother the more I believe I am losing it! I keep telling myself I am okay, it is just all the stress I am under but I still have that thought in my mind.....what if?
No. The memory verbal test given by a neurologist has both a time limit for responses, and in telling a story of about a paragraph you are then asked to repeat what you remember of the story. How will you do that online? If you are concerned about your memory, then go to a doctor who can correctly identify what your issues are. You could be deficient in Vit. D, B-12, have a tumor, etc. Only tests which can be done professionally will give you an accurate diagnosis. I am a nurse, and also a research subject for Mayo Clinic in the Alzheimer's project with other hospitals collaborating, and every two years I go in for all day testing. I've had a PET, and MRI, and blood work (as the research subject and free to me). Try to volunteer for one of these studies if you have a first generational (mother, father, sibling) who has/had Alzheimer's disease.
I just took the memtrax test and I personally don't think it's the right test if you are worried about someone potentially having a memory impairment. It may be more appropriate for ADHD. I know people with Alz that would pass this test with no problem. They just wouldn't remember taking it in a couple of hours. In-home testing is not a substitute for a doctor's visit. I have used the IQCODE which is an independent assessment (you answer questions about them) of the person's abilities. If you actually want them to perform a test and they are willing, use the mini-mental state test. This 30 point test takes less than 10 minutes. It asks questions like “what month is it” or “what city are we in”. The patient will also be asked to identify common objects and follow basic commands. Again be very careful with administering tests at home as the results can easily be misinterpreted.
I wouldn't. By the time there is reason to be concerned about memory it is time to see a professional. In my experience (with both my husband and with my mother) close personal observation is a more accurate indicator of impairment than a simple standardized test. My mom could pass the tests long beyond the point when she could safely live alone.
My husband had a completely "normal" neurological exam after he had started hiding bills under seat cushions because he didn't want to admit he didn't remember what to do with them.
A test can be useful. Personal observation is more accurate.
My question would be why are you concerned that a caregiver take a memory test? If someone you love is responsible for the care of another and you are concerned about their memory, you may need to get them to a doctor rather than an online memory screening.
I administer a memory test about once a week to my patients. It's not a fancy test but it's effective in demonstrating where my patient is as far as memory and I can compare the results with the previous week's test. Are you ready? As I said, it's very, very basic:
I ask my patient what day it is.
I ask for the date and year
I ask my patient to remember this address: John Brown Magnolia Street Chicago, Illinois
I ask my patient to tell me the months of the year backwards (which sounds difficult but if you do it it really isn't. I start them off by saying "December.....November....")
Finally I ask that my patient repeat the address back to me.
It's not a clinical test, it's pretty straightforward but it's a test that doesn't alarm someone if they can't remember the address or they get stuck on a month. And because it's so short it doesn't frustrate someone as I've seen happen with other comprehensive tests. It's just a tool to see where the patient is at on any given day.
I agree with Jeanne. My Dad has FTD, and I've read that many of the standard short memory tests (for example the Folsom mini-cog) are notoriously inaccurate for diagnosing frontal dementias ... that people can and have continued to achieve normal and even perfect scores on these even after reaching the point of requiring around-the-clock supervision. (The reason has to do with the exam's insufficiences in evaluating executive and frontal functions.)
Personal observation is key. But I recommend writing down your observations, or you may find later that you can't remember when you noticed some development, or what order things happened in ... I try to keep a "Dad diary," and the extent to which I'm able to stay on top of it is a pretty good barometer of how *I'M* managing my own stress ... ;-)
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
My husband had a completely "normal" neurological exam after he had started hiding bills under seat cushions because he didn't want to admit he didn't remember what to do with them.
A test can be useful. Personal observation is more accurate.
I ask my patient what day it is.
I ask for the date and year
I ask my patient to remember this address:
John Brown
Magnolia Street
Chicago, Illinois
I ask my patient to tell me the months of the year backwards (which sounds difficult but if you do it it really isn't. I start them off by saying "December.....November....")
Finally I ask that my patient repeat the address back to me.
It's not a clinical test, it's pretty straightforward but it's a test that doesn't alarm someone if they can't remember the address or they get stuck on a month. And because it's so short it doesn't frustrate someone as I've seen happen with other comprehensive tests. It's just a tool to see where the patient is at on any given day.
Personal observation is key. But I recommend writing down your observations, or you may find later that you can't remember when you noticed some development, or what order things happened in ... I try to keep a "Dad diary," and the extent to which I'm able to stay on top of it is a pretty good barometer of how *I'M* managing my own stress ... ;-)
See All Answers