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My aunt by marriage is originally from Iran. A few years ago she brought her aging mother, who speaks only Farsi, over to the US to live with them. Recently she received a recommendation from a colleague for a gerontologist who actually speaks Farsi, which was huge for them because her mother has a number of medical issues, including Alzheimer's, and it has been difficult for my aunt to constantly translate her ramblings and get her the help she needs. So she took her to this new doctor, who evaluated her for over an hour.
The first thing the doctor tells my aunt is that her mother most definitely does not have Alzheimer's. She has a severe urinary tract infection.
I'm sorry, what?
Apparently, it is a known problem among the elderly, and elderly women in particular, that long-term untreated urinary tract or kidney infections can lead to dementia. But the type of dementia shows key differences from Alzheimer's, which a standard practitioner probably wouldn't know how to look for, let alone in a different language. This gerontologist was able to see the difference, ran the urine test in-office, and had the results before the appointment was over.
My aunt reports that after two days on the antibiotics, her mother is noticeably more clear-headed already. Very happy all around!
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