Memory Testing Procedure
Who Does the Testing?
Our evaluations are all supervised by a clinical neuropsychologist; i.e., a psychologist who specializes in brain/behavior relationships. A counseling or clinical psychologist is skilled in emotional/behavor relationships and may specialize in individual, family, etc. psychotherapy. A psychiatrist or nurse practitioner adds expertise in the use of psychoactive medications. Now-a-days, everyone works as a team often with overlap in skills. Another type of psychologist who often uses NP tests is a geropsychologist, who has experience/training in working with seniors who may mix doing both psychotherapy and testing. Dr. Eggleston, on our staff, is a geropsychologist with extensive experience in working with skilled nursing home populations around the Cape.
Dr. Elovitz, a clinical neuropsychologist, supervises the NP testing department at Limbic Resources, Inc. He is responsible for selecting the most sensitive and best tests; that is, ones tolerated by often irritable seniors. All tests are given in a standardized fashion so the results are reliable and can be compared to in retestings by other providers. While he does some testing personally for Elder Services or legal cases, the majority of our evaluations are performed by psychometrists. These are skilled folks who are expert in doing standardized testing. Typically we have doctoral level (or doctoral candidates) doing the testing, who bring a wide array of skills to the table.
What is the Procedure?
Usually your doctor will all and refer you to us. Craig, our Hyannis office manager, will then call you or family. He describes the procedures, confirms insurance and sets up an appointment. Currently, we ask that only one family member accompany a patient. We see patients at either of our offices, and the procedure, which involves interviewing and testing, takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. Appointments are available every day at about 9:00 AM and at 1:30 PM, which allows us time in-between to sanitize the office.
We don’t send questionnaires in advance, preferring to take information in person. It is helpful if you bring your medication bottles and any over-the-counter things you take like vitamins, sleep aides, etc. with you. Just put it all in a bag or box and bring it along. Lists are usually incomplete and often incorrect, so we ask you to just bring everything you put in your body with you. Sometimes we count pills to make sure they are taken accurately… You get the idea? Forget lists, bring your medications with you!
The Report
We follow-up with a 6-7 page report of findings, diagnostic impressions and recommendations. We can mail (email is not HIPAA allowed) the report to you, family, different doctors, etc. if you bring their mail addresses. We strive to get reports out in two weeks, but it may come later. Set up an appointment with the PCP who referred you for about a month after the testing to review the results.
We are usually backlogged a several months, as we accept Medicare and most other insurances which continue to cut the NP reimbursement. It’s down 40% over the last several years, with another 7% cut planned to take effect in 2022. In Boston and off-Cape in can take two years to get an appointment, you may see a student and reports typically arrive three months after your appointment, so we are try to do better. The report’s recommendations are linked to more information at AgeSure.com.
Why Only Office Visits?
In a home visit there is a risk that we can bring viral material into the house with us. For most cases, now, we have had to suspend home visits because of the COVID-19 crisis. While we can sanitize our office between patients we can’t do that in a home, especially if we go from one patient’s home to another. So, for now, we are asking all patients to come to our office locations in Hyannis (handicap accessible) and in Bourne in Buzzard’s Bay.
Coronaviruses can live on hard surfaces for hours to days. In between patients we wipe down and sanitize seats in the waiting room, door handles, the surfaces in testing rooms and in the bathroom, etc. While there is no such thing as perfect sterilization (even in an operating room) we minimize the risk for you, and our staff, to the best of our ability.
Our evaluations are all supervised by a clinical neuropsychologist; i.e., a psychologist who specializes in brain/behavior relationships. A counseling or clinical psychologist is skilled in emotional/behavor relationships and may specialize in individual, family, etc. psychotherapy. A psychiatrist or nurse practitioner adds expertise in the use of psychoactive medications. Now-a-days, everyone works as a team often with overlap in skills. Another type of psychologist who often uses NP tests is a geropsychologist, who has experience/training in working with seniors who may mix doing both psychotherapy and testing. Dr. Eggleston, on our staff, is a geropsychologist with extensive experience in working with skilled nursing home populations around the Cape.
Dr. Elovitz, a clinical neuropsychologist, supervises the NP testing department at Limbic Resources, Inc. He is responsible for selecting the most sensitive and best tests; that is, ones tolerated by often irritable seniors. All tests are given in a standardized fashion so the results are reliable and can be compared to in retestings by other providers. While he does some testing personally for Elder Services or legal cases, the majority of our evaluations are performed by psychometrists. These are skilled folks who are expert in doing standardized testing. Typically we have doctoral level (or doctoral candidates) doing the testing, who bring a wide array of skills to the table.
What is the Procedure?
Usually your doctor will all and refer you to us. Craig, our Hyannis office manager, will then call you or family. He describes the procedures, confirms insurance and sets up an appointment. Currently, we ask that only one family member accompany a patient. We see patients at either of our offices, and the procedure, which involves interviewing and testing, takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. Appointments are available every day at about 9:00 AM and at 1:30 PM, which allows us time in-between to sanitize the office.
We don’t send questionnaires in advance, preferring to take information in person. It is helpful if you bring your medication bottles and any over-the-counter things you take like vitamins, sleep aides, etc. with you. Just put it all in a bag or box and bring it along. Lists are usually incomplete and often incorrect, so we ask you to just bring everything you put in your body with you. Sometimes we count pills to make sure they are taken accurately… You get the idea? Forget lists, bring your medications with you!
The Report
We follow-up with a 6-7 page report of findings, diagnostic impressions and recommendations. We can mail (email is not HIPAA allowed) the report to you, family, different doctors, etc. if you bring their mail addresses. We strive to get reports out in two weeks, but it may come later. Set up an appointment with the PCP who referred you for about a month after the testing to review the results.
We are usually backlogged a several months, as we accept Medicare and most other insurances which continue to cut the NP reimbursement. It’s down 40% over the last several years, with another 7% cut planned to take effect in 2022. In Boston and off-Cape in can take two years to get an appointment, you may see a student and reports typically arrive three months after your appointment, so we are try to do better. The report’s recommendations are linked to more information at AgeSure.com.
Why Only Office Visits?
In a home visit there is a risk that we can bring viral material into the house with us. For most cases, now, we have had to suspend home visits because of the COVID-19 crisis. While we can sanitize our office between patients we can’t do that in a home, especially if we go from one patient’s home to another. So, for now, we are asking all patients to come to our office locations in Hyannis (handicap accessible) and in Bourne in Buzzard’s Bay.
Coronaviruses can live on hard surfaces for hours to days. In between patients we wipe down and sanitize seats in the waiting room, door handles, the surfaces in testing rooms and in the bathroom, etc. While there is no such thing as perfect sterilization (even in an operating room) we minimize the risk for you, and our staff, to the best of our ability.
