The Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Blog

Why Choose a Board Certified Geriatrician?

At Distinctive Care one of the first interventions we recommend for our Clients is that they be examined by a Board Certified Geriatrician, a physician who specializes in care and treatment of the older adult. Our care managers often accompany Clients to their initial visit and help the Client and their family to understand the findings and recommendations of the geriatrician, providing both a verbal and written report.

I recently came across an interesting article written by Daniel Martin and posted in Mail Online which revealed that, based in a recent survey in Britain, up to two-thirds of those patients seen by their general practioners who have dementia go undiagnosed. In the survey conducted by the Daily Mail 29 percent of general practioners admit that they have not had enough training to diagnose and treat dementia. A whopping 50 percent feel there is reluctance to diagnose dementia because they do not have enough support or training and 10 percent feel there is nothing that can be done for those that have dementia.

This is why during our initial assessment of a Client we perform cognitive testing that can accurately determine if there is mild cognitive impairment or dementia indicated. Once armed with this information the care managers always recommend that the Client see a geriatrician who has received specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia or any of the vast arrays of dementia that have been discovered.

If you are worried about a loved one and suspect they may have dementia feel free to contact Distinctive Care in Ridgewood, NJ to speak to one of our professionals regarding your concerns.