Diagnosing Dementia

Dear Ask The Doctor: How long does it take for a doctor to determine that his patient has dementia. and begin treatment. its been over a month now and my fathers doctor still cant determine if he has dementia so he can start treatment . i told the doctor at the first visit that both my grandmother and grandfather suffered from dementia.

Dear Shelly: I can understand your desire for a diagnosis. Unfortunately, it CAN take several months.  Dementia is a condition that deteriates over time and it is often necessary to compare ones mental status at different times of day, different environments and different points in time to beter understand the underlying process.  This can often involve taking a history from the patient (if possible) and other concerned family members.  At the same time, appropriate investigations must be performed to rule out other treatable causes and it can often take months to order, coordinate and receive all the test results.