'Less than half over-40s take free NHS (dementia) test'

The trouble with this test is that some people can become worried if they fail.
A friend's BiL failed one or two items and now he, his wife and my friend are convinced he has early stage dementia, might lose his driving license, and is on the way to becoming doolally.

Megan it must have been difficult to keep a straight face.

Should have said to Cale.

This reminds me so much of a check up I had quite a number of years ago for blood pressure etc. The nurse, apparently concerned about my weight, asked about exercise and promptly showed me how to walk briskly up and down her room, I did explain that I had horses (at the time) and walked from my home across two fields to get to them! There was then a knock at the door and in walked the secretary with two buttered crumpets for her mid morning snack!

FlexibleFriend recently a CT scan showed I had enlarged brain ventricles. Luckily a MRI showed that these were compatible with my age but even before that, the neurologist assured me that half the people with dementia never show such changes anyway. So until it actually develops, as you say, there are no hard and fast rules.

The day before my distant aunt's 70th birthday, an enormously fat young nurse puffed her way up the tenement stairs to do health checks which were supposed to have kicked in at 65.

When she got her breath back, the nurse asked my aunt if she was getting out every day for a little walk. Auntie refrained from mentioning the tap dancing, hill walking (she'd just done a Munro), aerobics (OK, Over 40s, but trust me those ladies could shift it to music), walking several miles to exercise classes or Scottish Country dancing.

"I swim," said my aunt, through clenched teeth.

"And do you just splash about or do you go to the deep end at all?" asked the nurse, who was having difficulty getting out of her chair.

"Half a mile every day," stated Auntie.

"And do you think you have a good diet? By that I mean...."

Auntie held up her hand. "I know what you mean and yes I do. Fish, vegetables, fruit, dairy...."

They never got as far as the mental tests because the nurse's next question was something like: "Would it be OK for me to see how you manage in the kitchen?"

...I think that nurse went down the tenement steps a lot quicker than she came up them. She was never seen again.

The sad thing is that, 20 years later, Auntie did briefly get dementia while some of her chums who had smoked and overeaten their way into their 90s were as sharp as tacks til their last breaths.

Life's what you make it and the main thing is not to impose difficulties on seniors who have earned the right to decide for themselves what works and what doesn't.

I've never been asked to attend for such a test which may well be why there is such a low take up. When I read about it that was my first thought.

DH and a couple of friends were invited to some sort of check to do with the heart but I have never heard of anyone being invited for such a test.

Yes MOnica. I think there is good evidence that a healthy lifestyle reduces risk of dementia. Unfortunately the health checks offered don't apparently make much difference because those leading unhealthy lifestyles do not, in the main, attend. Unfortunately you can't do much about the other risk factors such as old age and genes.

Teacheranne No matter how you live, nothing can guarantee that you will not get dementia. But what is clear is that if you do live healthily the probability of getting dementia is much reduced, but not eliminated.

Sadly, there will always be the cases like your mother's where someone who has done everything right still gets dementia, Similarly there will be those who ignore all the rules and live into their 90s or more mentally and physically in good order.

None of this invalidates the fact that living a healthy life reduces your chances of getting dementia, diabetes and other illnesses of age.

I wish there was an edit option! I meant to write to prevent dementia of course

I get really cross when I read about how to live healthily to recent dementia, my mum was not overweight, went long distance cycling twice a week with the CTC, went to a keep fit class every week, did the Telegraph crossword every day, was learning French, enjoyed foreign holidays, ate very well, had loads of friends etc etc etc. Yet she still developed Alzheimer's and is now a shadow of her former person.

I agree lazi I think there are many GPS who don’t think it is of any real health benefit.

GPs may not be paid much per patient for doing the check, but apparently the cost overall to NHS is more than a whopping 450 million, and without good evidence that it is saving lives surely it should be reviewed when the health service is currently so starved of cash.

There were two tests last I heard. One a health check but only for people who do not have a chronic illness already to see what their risk of developing heart disease, stroke etc and the other a dementia test.
Don’t know about the dementia test but the GP surgery I worked for never made any money from the health checks as the payment they received per person tested was less than the cost of paying the staff to do the test, analyse the results and inform the patient. We were pushed to do 5% of the population a year. Certainly not cost effective.

I agree with Monica. I don't know why this has suddenly been labelled the dementia test, it's a health check, and another thing for which GPs receive payment. I'm not sure if it's evidence based or reduces the chance of getting dementia if you diligently attend.

D'you know I've never been able to recite the alphabet backwards and have never been asked to do so. I haven't seen it as important but maybe I should make a point of practising so that I could fool a doctor!
I've always managed the age and prime minister questions!

It was a pharmacist who tested me and he had the cheek to measure my walking stick to make sure it was the correct height. It was given to me by a physio who worked in an orthopaedic hospital but I managed to say nowt.

This business of remembering addresses is ridiculous. The clever thing to do would be to write it down.
Or like foregetting names. the brain is not wired up to remember names but to remember faces and to know about this person, situation and family etc.

My mum would agree with you. M0nica! She's 91yo and gets fed up of government preaching about how to live your life.

She says she can't understand why they keep telling people what to do, because if you have the temerity to live past your three-score-years-and-ten, they then complain that you're a drain on society. Can't win!

MOnica for prime minister!

I asked about these health tests, but it is only for people who haven't seen their doctor in a long time.
Which isn't me or any one else with a repeat prescription that keeps you on their books

It also included favourite meals and if you prepare them yourself.

I had a verbal and the picture of a clock and farm animals ( hahahaha ) test 5 years ago at 73 and was okay. I'm due another--------if they remember.

The , so called , test is verbal . Recite the alphabet backwards , who is the prime minister , can you remember the address/phrase I gave you at the beginning of this test , what age are you , are examples of what OH experienced , he did better than me ! and I am still here

Yes, I can tell you what this is all about. This is the all purpose medical check over all over 40s are offered. It is nothing to do with specific dementia testing (how many of those who later suffer from dementia have symptoms at 40?)

It is about checking blood pressure, weight, diet and exercise. All of which can affect your chances of getting dementia at a later date. They then give you advice on how losing weight/improving your diet/taking more exercise will reduce your chance of dementia. It is followed by instructions on sucking eggs.

It is all just another example of the fatuous advice increasingly coming from Ministries that have completely lost contact with ordinary people's lives and live in some cloud cuckoo land where everything can be made perfect and all life problems solved if only everyone did exactly what the Ministry tells them (until they change their mind)

See also today's advice from the 'Minister for Loneliness' on compulsory inter-generational holidays.