I'd be interested in the answer too, Shirley...all DH's dr.s have pushed this topic under the table.. ya see, he holds it all together when with others but can't find his way to the mailbox oor remember what day it is,otherwise.. I visited his dr. today, privately and gave him graphic examples of things that DH does and finally, he will be evaluated tomorrow... Now, just watch, DH will be perfect and I'll look like I made it all up... I, too, needed to get a diagnosis for whatever reason... Things happen quickly with this disease.. What if he hurts you, what if he gives away your money, WHAT IF? then at least you'd have the dr's diagnosis to back you..Legally, I have taken control of finances and have the banks etc. alerted when he makes requests..We have a trust, Wills, POA's and all that good stuff. Just my thoughts.
Is your dh on medication for AD?..that is one of the main reasons to get a dx...so that he can get medication that will keep him from getting worse so fast.
I would advise you to look into long term care insurance before you get a diagnosis in his medical records. You will not be able to get it once the insurance company knows what is going on.
Doctor already has prescribed Namenda and Aricept which dh discontinued taking after a few months because of the side effects. Dr. said if I didn't notice a difference when he stopped taking the meds, then they weren't doing any good anyway. Dh is 85 so I don't think long term care insurance will come into play in our situation.
The main reason for getting a Dx is that there are conditions which can produce dementia symptoms, but when treated, those symptoms resolve. However, they might not clear up as well if the condiotion has persisted for an extended time. Also, some Dementia causing Diseases respond to different meds better than others.
I've read your previous postings and am concerned that you protect yourself financially. You may even have to go as far as having your husband declared as incapable of handling his finances. Here in Canada, this requires evaluation by 2 doctors. With your husband's new attitude towards money (he wants to know where you've spent this huge amount it all these years, and he also wants to give your children large amounts), I think your doctor should be aware and help you take steps to protect yourself. At the very least, this would be a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Peggy has taken good steps. However, I had the banks post a warning note that he had Alzheimer's that came up on the computer screen every time his accounts were accessed. In spite of that, his three children took him to his two banks and had him empty all accounts, leaving me without funds to pay the bills. I asked the bank manager why they had let that happen, and they said that they had been called over by the teller, but that my husband had acted so normal and was opening another account under his name, that they thought it was okay. I asked if he was alone, and the bank manager said he was but that when he left, 3 people joined him on the sidewalk, and the 4 of them walked across the street to his other bank. It took an expensive lawyer 5 months to get this straightened out. In hindsight, if I had had him declared to be incapable of making financial decisions before the bank incident, it would have taken less time, money and angst for me. Or better still, because I had Power of Attorney, I should have immediately moved all of his money into a separate account under my name and paid all his expenses and the household expenses out of that. I told one of the bank managers that later on, and he said that it would have looked bad for me. If you can, keep the balance low in his chequing account. The first year of my husband's diagnosis, he wrote $72,000.00 worth of cheques out to them, at their request. Before his diagnosis, he paid the roofer three times for the same roof, at $10,000.00 a cheque. Since I mailed all the letters, I was able to catch this.