Should seniors take an Alzheimer’s test?
Or, what if Dept of Motor Vehicles or your boss hears about it?
The other day at the Wine & Spirits store in Exton, the clerk asked me for my zip code, as they usually do when you pay by credit card. I couldn’t immediately rattle off the numbers until I concentrated on it.
Memory loss. Just today, I was talking to a friend about our upcoming Christmas dinner, a standing rib roast with….with….with what? I couldn’t remember the name of the delicious traditional accompaniment to a roast beef dinner until a few minutes later. “Oh yes, Yorkshire Pudding.”
Should I take a test for incipient Alzheimer’s disease?
According to an article in the December 18, 2007, Wall Street Journal, “How soon is too soon to screen people for Alzheimer’s disease?”, there are pros and cons.
The pros: the test is simple, principally one for word recall. It can be given as part of a routine physical. And, the sooner a diagnosis is confirmed, the sooner a person can start taking medication which can help slow the progress of the disease.
The cons: what if there’s a false positive result? That could cause emotional and psychological damage. And what if the findings, even the fact that you took the test, became known to your employer or an insurance company? To the Department of Motor Vehicles? Could that tip the scale at work on a new assignment or promotion, or affect ability to get insurance? Could it lead to loss of a driver’s license?
I have posted already how a senior’s innocent and explainable behavior can cause a problem with a driver’s license. Or how a discussion with your doctor about how many beers you drink a day can do the same.
Signs. This is not to say ignore memory loss but rather to suggest to seniors that they don’t undertake testing until there are clearer signs of Alzheimer’s. And, more. In my own case I believe it is much too soon, if ever! I will certainly remember to ask for more Yorkshire Pudding at Christmas dinner!
