Persons Living In Assisted Living May Have Misdiagnosis

It’s been estimated that 9 percent of persons living in assisted living facilities may have an often misdiagnosed condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus. The unfortunate thing is this condition is treatable.

We wonder how many persons in assisted living in Vancouver Washington have this treatable condition.

Because the symptoms are similar, the misdiagnoses include Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and even “just getting old.”

What is normal pressure hydrocephalus or NPH?

NPH is a condition which occurs when the fluid surrounding the brain no longer reabsorbs correctly. This failure to reabsorb slowly leads to problems with memory, disturbed gait, and even bladder control. The person with NPH can experience problems with speech, walking, a loss of train of thought, disorganization, blanking on names or what to do in routine activities of daily living. The diagnosis can be identified through comparison of MRI’s of the brain.

The Hydrocephalus Association estimates that at least 350,000 Americans, and 5 percent of people with dementia, have the condition. It would be interesting, and a blessing perhaps for many, to be able to test those in the various levels of assisted living in Vancouver, WA to rule out this treatable condition. If you have a loved one that has been diagnosed with any of these other conditions it might be worth asking their physician to test for NPH.

Choosing family style assisted living in Vancouver, WA may be one of the smartest ways to gain support for alternative treatments.

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