Dear Sally,
Try looking at the following:
Updated Key Principles of Geriatrics
http://geridoc.net/keyprinciplesofgeriatrics.html
On-Line Senior Self-Assessment – you can print a report from this to bring to the doctor
http://seniorselfassessment.com/
Finding a Geriatrician in Your Area
http://geridoc.net/advice-findingageriatrician.html
I hope that helps!
Sincerely,
Dr. Stall
From: sally
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 11:55 PM
To: drstall@buffalo.edu
Subject: Questions
Hello Dr. Stall,
I was searching online for information on geriatric doctors and care and came across your article "Four Key Principles of Geriatric Care." It caught my eye as I have been trying to figure out what to do about getting a second opinion for my mother. She is 77, lives with my father ( a very difficult person), no longer drives and has had several issues develop over the last year. Her motor skills - especially fine motor skills - have declined and randomly seem to be lacking. She has some memory issues, but mosly just forgetting peoples names, spelling (this came on sort of suddenly) and sometimes forgetting where she puts things. She has had a few episodes of completely spacing out for a few moments and then being fine. She did go to a general MD, had an MRI, was told there was evidence of nerve damage, but then nothing showed up on all of the follow through tests. The doctor then asked her some quick questions like naming animals, spelling a word frontwards and backwards and she was so nervous she couldn't do it. (Her sister supposedly died of Alzheimers so she is scared of that diagnosis.) The doctor she was seeing then told her she had Alzheimers and that was that. My sisters and I and my mother feel like this isn't the final answer. So I was wondering what you would suggest as far as type of doctor for a second opinion, and types of testing and information we should be asking about. I would appreciate any information you could pass along to me.
Sincerely,
Sally
