Autism and dementia

Does anyone have experience of a probable autistic parent developing dementia? I can’t work out whether I should be trying to get a medical assessment when I’ve been told to look after myself and let 85yr parent look after themselves! 

Parents
  • I suggest getting advice from your parent’s GP.

    This might be helpful in the meantime:

    Autistica - Understanding autism and dementia

  • I suggest getting advice from your parent’s GP.

    My mother's GP wouldn't speak to me because of patient confidentiality. 

    Not even in a general way and also not when she had an untreated health problem. 

  • They're not allowed too, even if you have the same GP, all they can do is put it down as you worrying, they can't do anything about the person you're concerned about, not even talk to them or raise it as an issue during a routine appointment.

    Everyone is in a catch 22 position with dementia, the people who have the most power are actually ambulance crews, but then they've got to be sure that someones so menatlly poorly that they meet the criteria for a section. GP's aren't allowed to section anybody anymore, the police are reluctant to get involved unless theres a danger to the self or others. Then you as a carer get asked to take them home again, no matter how bad the situation is. You have to refuse and effectively make that person homeless and then social services get involved and they may have the power to do something, it depends, on what I'm unsure. The fire brigade had to get my neighbour taken into care as she was phoning them in the night convinced the house was on fire, the fire brigade have to come out, even when they know it's from someone dementing. One of the chief fire officers arranged a meeting with my neighbours social worker and told them what was happening everynight, and they were still reluctant to do anything.

Reply
  • They're not allowed too, even if you have the same GP, all they can do is put it down as you worrying, they can't do anything about the person you're concerned about, not even talk to them or raise it as an issue during a routine appointment.

    Everyone is in a catch 22 position with dementia, the people who have the most power are actually ambulance crews, but then they've got to be sure that someones so menatlly poorly that they meet the criteria for a section. GP's aren't allowed to section anybody anymore, the police are reluctant to get involved unless theres a danger to the self or others. Then you as a carer get asked to take them home again, no matter how bad the situation is. You have to refuse and effectively make that person homeless and then social services get involved and they may have the power to do something, it depends, on what I'm unsure. The fire brigade had to get my neighbour taken into care as she was phoning them in the night convinced the house was on fire, the fire brigade have to come out, even when they know it's from someone dementing. One of the chief fire officers arranged a meeting with my neighbours social worker and told them what was happening everynight, and they were still reluctant to do anything.

Children
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