The doctor may ask how your loved one is acting and managing in their life. The doctor may want to know if your loved one can do daily tasks. Describe to the doctor how your loved one handles the following activities:
- Shopping
- Managing money
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Eating
Your doctor may use tests like these to help make a diagnosis:
| Test | Type of test | What it helps to find out | When it is used |
| Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) | It includes a series of questions like remembering words, the date, and following simple commands. | How much difficulty the patient may have with short-term memory, language, and following instructions. | During diagnosis of the disease and follow-up visits to track changes. |
| The Clock Draw Task (CDT) | The patient is asked to draw the face of a clock at a specific time. | Whether the person has trouble with planning, and with visual/spatial skills. | During diagnosis of the disease. It may be used in follow-up visits to track changes. |
Other tests the doctor may order are an MRI* or CT scan†.These are brain-imaging tests that may help your doctor in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.
*Magnetic resonance imaging
†X-ray computerized tomography