Dementia Evaluations
DEMENTIA EVALUATIONS
As we age, it is quite common to notice signs of age-related cognitive decline. This can range from mild forgetfulness to more serious deficits in memory and executive functioning. Many seniors face a wide array of issues that negatively impact neurocognitive functioning. These include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Isolation
- Medical Difficulties
- Medication Side Effects
- Grief/Loss of Loved Ones
- Declining Abilities
- Adjustment to Retirement
- Sleep Dysregulation
It can be concerning to family members and loved ones when signs of neurocognitive impairment become more significant. RBH offers specific neurocognitive testing to assess for possible signs of Dementia. Dementia has multiple etiologies and can vary widely in the degree and pattern of cognitive and behavioral manifestations. It is important to identify any type of Dementia as soon as possible so that treatment can be initiated to help slow any progressive decline.
RBH recognizes that many patients may feel nervous about testing for Dementia and so our evaluators work diligently to make sure that the senior is comfortable during the process. We often break up the testing battery across multiple days so as not to overly tax any individual. The RBH team will go over the results of the testing with the patient and family members to help facilitate understanding of the neurocognitive strengths and weaknesses and to coordinate a treatment plan with other health care professionals, including neurologists, primary care physicians, and psychiatrists. The RBH team is also here to help pull in additional resources and referrals as needed in order to provide optimum support.
The RBH Dementia Evaluation includes a formal assessment of :
- Intellectual Functioning
- Verbal Problem Solving Ability
- Nonverbal Problem Solving Ability
- Attention – Auditory and Visual
- Orientation
- Verbal Fluency/Word Finding
- Visuospatial Construction
Memory
- Verbal
- Visual
- Immediate/Working
- Delayed
- Executive Functioning
- Decision Making
- Judgment
- Reasoning
- Visuospatial Organization
- Inhibitory Control