Dementia Misdiagnosis Common Among Seniors

By Author: Georges Baxter
Total Articles: 15
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And you thought that turning 65 merely meant making the decision between Medicare Advantage and original Medicare with a Medicare supplement plan. Not anymore.

A research team has now discovered that neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s may be commonly misdiagnosed in elderly patients.

“The new fear isn’t that turning 65 may bring an increased risk of dementia,” notes Alan Weinstock, insurance broker at MedicareSupplementPlans.com, “but that perhaps the signs of the disease are misunderstood and may be misdiagnosed.”

Focus of the Study

Tests and brain-imaging are used to diagnose dementia. However, according to the researchers in the study, diagnosing specific dementias in people who are very old is complex.

For their study the researchers autopsied the brains of 426 Japanese-American men who had died at an average age of 87. From this group, 211 had been diagnosed with dementia before passing. The researchers found that nearly half of those who were told they had Alzheimer’s did not have a sufficient number of brain lesions to support this claim. Misdiagnosis increased ...
... the older the patient.

Looking for Signs of Dementia in Your Loved Ones

The Alzheimer's Association has a list of 10 warning signs that can help you recognize early indications of dementia:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure

4. Confusion with time or place

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

8. Decreased or poor judgment

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities

10 Changes in mood and personality

An important factor is whether or not these problems affect how well a person functions in everyday life.

Dementia and Medicare Coverage

For Medicare beneficiaries or family members who are concerned, Medicare covers medically-necessary doctor visits and laboratory tests required for diagnosis, which includes dementia-related diseases.

This may include consultations with your primary care giver, a mental evaluation to assess cognitive capabilities, a physical exam, a brain scan, and/or a psychiatric evaluation. Medicare covers 80% for initial mental health visits, 80% for prescription drugs, and 55% for continuing mental health treatment.

Medigap insurance can give what the original Medicare Supplement cannot and this is a very effective advantage of the Medigap insurance California.