As people grow older, parts of their bodies grow weaker; cognitive assessments for senior citizens are one way to point out where aging minds need help.

Kara Johnson, social work director for Heritage Village in Gerry, is a licensed master social worker familiar with both clinical service and directing teams of social workers. She said cognitive assessments, first recommended by seniors’ general physicians, are the initial step for many to realize what kind of end-of-life care they need.

“These screening tools don’t necessarily tell you what the issue is,” Johnson said.

They do, however, point out trouble areas, leading to potential therapy, treatment and care. Once an initial cognitive assessment is performed, they should typically be done every two or three months for doctors to check up on senior patients.

“For some people, it could be dementia,” Johnson said. “For other people, it could mean an adjustment to the nursing home.”

Developed for veterans in mind, the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination is also a major tool for understanding if senior citizens have dementia. Depending on their overall scores resulting from answering basic life questions, doctors use that information to decide what to do next in terms of treatment or long-term care.

“The key is definitely taking the information you gather from the screens and using it to help develop the most person-centered treatment plan and looking at the person as a whole,” Johnson said.

Brief Interviews for Mental Status and other exams, including the Mini Mental Status Exam, often accompany a SLUMS exam. These tests have been thoroughly researched as screening tools and are used nationally.

The Mini Mental Status Exam tests more visual skills, like requiring someone to draw a certain figure. Other tests help out with measuring auditory responses and providing speech therapy.

“They all look at the same things in the areas of executive function, memory (and) attention,” Johnson said.

Oftentimes, Johnson said, trauma experienced when patients were younger manifests as cognitive issues later in life. For veterans and others suffering from traumatic stress, health screenings rule out the possibility of trauma or pinpoint it as the cause of a certain deficiency.

“It’s good to rule those out,” Johnson said.

Once doctors refer patients for cognitive assessments, they typically go to their preferred end-of-life care provider and begin the screenings. Johnson reiterated that the primary care office is the first step in receiving care for specific cognitive problems.

From falling down to having a urinary tract infection, getting seniors’ problems taken care of begins with the family physician most often.

“You definitely want to rule out medical first,” Johnson said. “You always want someone to manage at their highest level possible.”

Johnson said that there are therapeutic options for seniors with every level of mental activity. Those with major dementia can still keep their minds alert by listening to music. Others with less severe cognitive strain can engage with animals and connect with other people.

“These assessments are great, but you’ve got to look at the whole person too,” Johnson said.

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