Questions to Ask Your Clinician About Alzheimer’s Disease

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Where are my keys? What was his name? Why on earth did I come into the kitchen? Sound familiar? We all forget things from time to time. But when are these memory lapses more than just an annoying part of life and something more serious, like dementia?

When most people think of dementia, they often think of Alzheimer’s disease. More than 7 million people in the U.S. live with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and it’s more common among women. Dementia is a general term for problems with thinking, memory, mood and behavior that interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, but dementia can also be caused by other conditions. This is why it’s important to be evaluated. And although there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are FDA-approved medications for Alzheimer’s disease that are used in the earlier stages of the disease to help slow progression and medications that can help temporarily ease symptoms in the later stages of disease. So, the earlier you get diagnosed, the more treatment options you have and the more time you have for planning.

Worrying about dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can increase your stress or anxiety, so we’ve put together this guide to help you prepare for your medical appointment. It can help you talk about your concerns and remember what questions you’d like to ask.

Downloadable resource: Questions to Ask About Alzheimer’s Disease >>

Before you go

Write down any changes you or the people around you have noticed, when they began, and whether they are getting worse. Some examples could be:

Asking the same questions over and over
Frequently forgetting important events or dates
Relying on friends or family to do tasks you used to do on your own
Difficulty managing regular tasks like cooking, paying bills or remembering how to use an appliance
Getting lost in familiar areas
Struggling to find the right words in everyday conversation
Mood changes
Withdrawing from social activities

Prepare a list of any medical conditions and all medications you take, including over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements. Also note if a parent, sibling or other close relative has or had Alzheimer’s disease.

You can ask a trusted family member or friend to come with you to the appointment too. They can be your advocate, listening to the conversation, taking notes, reminding you of certain issues and asking questions on your behalf, if you’d like.

While you’re at your appointment

Speaking with a clinician about your concerns can be overwhelming because there’s so much to remember and you’re already worried about your memory — that’s why you have the appointment. You or your companion can take notes, or you might want to record the meeting, with the clinician’s permission. This way, you can listen again to see if there’s something you missed or perhaps misunderstood.

If you’re interested in having a cognitive assessment, you can request one from your clinician. Unfortunately, some people, even in the medical community, can be quick to brush off memory concerns as a part of aging, especially for women going through menopause. If you’re concerned that your clinician is doing this, you can explain why you want an assessment and request that they formally evaluate you to see if it is just aging or it’s something more serious.

Here is a list of questions that you might want to ask during your appointment, in addition to any of your own:

What could be causing my symptoms? Could they be related to any of the medications or supplements I take?
Could my memory problems be the result of poor sleep, depression, hearing loss or another treatable problem?
How will you assess me? What memory and thinking tests will you use? Do I need blood tests or brain scans?
Do I need a referral to a specialist, like a neurologist, geriatrician or memory clinic?
If I do have tests, how long will it take for me to get the results, and when should we meet again?

After an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis

Even if you suspect that you might have Alzheimer’s disease, hearing the diagnosis can be tough. However, you can still take control of certain aspects of your care by knowing as much as you can. This means asking even more questions, which could include:

Who will be treating me?
What changes might I expect in the future?
Are there any treatments that might help slow down the disease?
Am I eligible for the treatments?
Are there any treatments for my symptoms?
Are there any clinical trials I might qualify for?
Should I make any lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise, that might support my overall health and possibly help slow down the disease progression at the same time?
What resources are there for both me and those who will help care for me?
What decisions should I make now, such as advanced directives or power of attorney?
Is it safe for me to keep driving?
What type of support might I need if I want to keep living at home?
What are my next steps?

Dementia care can be hard for some people to get because of cost, insurance status, language and location. If you face any barriers, ask your clinician if there are support systems for you, such as low-cost services, transportation options, interpreter services or local support programs.

If you are alone and don’t have family or friends who can help care for you, it’s particularly important to ask what types of resources are available and how to access them. This could be a social worker or care manager to start.

You may qualify for community services, such as those you can find from the Eldercare Locator, part of the HHS Administration for Community Living. The Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 helpline (1-800-272-3900) may also be helpful.

Resources

Alzheimer’s Association

American Academy of Neurology

HealthyWomen Brain Health Hub

HHS Eldercare Locator

This is ALZ

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s

This educational resource was created with support from Eli Lilly.

Marijke Vroomen Durning, R.N.

Marijke Vroomen Durning, R.N., is a freelance writer in Montreal, Canada. Her work has been published in many outlets over the years, both online and in print. Marijke often describes her writing as the bedside teaching nurses want to do but rarely have the time for. Her experience working in healthcare has taught her what types of information people need and how to share it. One such need is medication and drug safety, so Marijke wrote the book," Just the Right Dose: Your Smart Guide to Prescription Drugs and How to Take Them Safely."

Marijke is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ), the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), and the Authors Guild. She is also a member of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and is registered with the Ordre des infirmiers et infirmières du Québec (Order of Nurses of Quebec).

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