How many times have you walked into a room this month, only to wonder why you were there?  Have you misplaced your cell phone or car keys lately?
Well you are not alone.  But that is probably no reason to worry, or seek out an evaluation for dementia, just yet.
But you should know that screening for cognitive impairments can be covered, under Medicare, and some other insurances, and if done as part of the annual wellness check, under Medicare rules, there should be no deductible.
Is screening appropriate for everyone?  Most professionals say no.  If you or your loved one have few signs of trouble, the utility of the testing has been debated, and some think it is unwarranted.
That is not quite the same though, if, as you or a loved one ages, you start to see signs of trouble.
Then such a screening might help in three ways.  First one can establish a sort of “baseline.” And, second, IF the screening indicates a problem, more testing can be done, and perhaps even medicines can be prescribed–medicine for Alzheimer’s are most effective when used early on. Third, before capacity is entirely gone, you can attend to your legal affairs.
For more information see this article from Kaiser Health News:  http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2014/May/06/health-law-requires-medicare-to-cover-dementia-evaluation.aspx
Perhaps too, you have heard of the “mini-mental state” examinations.  Ever wonder what sort of questions might be asked?  You’re in luck–here is an example:  http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/adti/clinician/pdf/ADTI{ea75ddc5eed2fbdedbe619ddaf164d09aafea45a4dcf77bed638b47cccf30fbf}20SMMSE-GDS{ea75ddc5eed2fbdedbe619ddaf164d09aafea45a4dcf77bed638b47cccf30fbf}20Reference{ea75ddc5eed2fbdedbe619ddaf164d09aafea45a4dcf77bed638b47cccf30fbf}20Card.pdf
As you help others or think about helping yourself, remember it is important to take care of most all legal documents before your capacity, or the capacity of a loved one, is seriously questioned.