After reading one of the new threads I noticed some comments about the NH/Death calculator. What do you all know about this? I have never heard of it before. My FIL scored 12 on his mini mental exam, although the doctor allowed him a couple of extra questions which he got partially right. I suspect his real score is closer to 10. In addition they suspect he has Parkinsons disease as well and we are having him tested for that. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

It's an average calculation to death. Sad as that might be, most people want to be prepared. Based on his MMSE score, he's got another 4 years of life (not withstanding other complications).

In my studies, I've come across an 'average' of a loss of 3 points per year from the MMSE score to death.

Horrible time, absolutely horrible. I'm so sorry.

Someone a few years ago posted info on it, and I mentioned it in a post recently.

"Columbia's nursing home calculator is a pretty good tool (do an internet search for "predicting time to nursing home admission"). It also has a death calculator and the results were consistent with the information that I got from our doctors."

You plug in information such as your family member's age when diagnosed and current test scores, and it will give you the range from patients with similar results who were in a nursing home or who died within so many years. You may learn, for ex., that 75% of patients with a score of 10 who were diagnosed at age 60 are deceased in X years, and 95% of them are in a NH at that point. Every patient is different, of course, but this is a possible tool for looking ahead. I check the calculator every time DH gets new test results, and so far it appears to be consistent. The info that I got on the Calculator is also consistent with the info that our doctors gave us when I pushed, pressed, demanded, and whined for information.

when I pushed, pressed, demanded, and whined for information.

That's sad that they won't offer information .....:confused: I don't get it y'know?

Story of all of us I guess eh?