"MAS Memory Assessment Service"

Writing for my mum, who is soon to be 94. I want to share a little background.  Mum suffers in her elderly age with many health issues, general and physical, which are managed as best possible with medication and care in the community. More or less, mum now spends her days in an arm chair watching her squirrels, little TV, a light read of her paper, doing some little tasks for herself and snoozing. Frailty and dependency now becoming her life.

We spotted some rapidly progressing changes in mums memory and mood. Her doctor did tests and referred to MAS, Hazlewood House, Nottingham for further dementia tests.  The referral was delayed and mums appointment with MAS, wasn't until February 2023. I appealed to the MAS Team for a speedier response, not knowing the dementia type mum had and hoping that it might be the type that medication could slow (doctor advised 50/50 chance). There was a chance to help her life now and that opportunity might be lost tomorrow.  Having our mum with us, to continue to remember, smile and laugh with us through to her final goodbye incredibly important for mum and to us. Thank You MAS Team. I asked and you responded.

Firstly to Rani, the caring and honest voice on the end of a phone. Who listened and heard, had compassion and felt confident enough to say that she didn't know, but would speak with the dementia nurse who would be seeing mum in February 2023. She acted on her word. Thank you Rani. The outcome Rani achieved was to have mum's circumstance understood and agreement reached to offer mum a cancellation when able.

Our, the family's, part with all mum's ailments was to do our very best to get mum to an appointment at very short notice.Someone once said - success comes in cans. Within a week we received a cancellation appointment offer to attend within 24 hrs of phone call.  With all mum's frailties and yet determination, we made it.

Hello Colleen. Colleen is mum's Dementia Nurse who met mum and myself and gently guided us through various tests and discussions. Not an easy task when touching upon the illness of mind, towards potentially the future loss of independence. Mum's wish is to remain in her home until her goodbye is final.

Colleen, with gratitude, your compassion, sense of care, experience, knowledge and genuine evident desire to do your absolute best with as little upset or bother for mum, was above and beyond. Your calmness and smiling, open approach, without the feel of being rushed or out of time allowed us to feel at ease and looked after from beginning to end of the appointment. Thank You. Your prior appointment research in assessing an earlier recent CT Scan, saved mum the burden of having another unnecessarily.  And saved the NHS time and cost. Thank You.

Sadly, mums diagnosis is vascular to which medicine cannot cure. But thanks to the speed of response of MAS, we and mum now understand the illness and where it might take us. We know where to look for help if we need it. We know we are not alone and we know our mum received the very best of care from MAS.

NHS in today's challenging times this is a story to celebrate, decisiveness, speed of response, caring, considerate, compassionate, organised with professionalism from front line through to health professional.  A team working well together.  What does it need to work even better? Listen as they, with so much respect, listened to us.

Thank you MAS Team