Angela has brought her 84-year-old mother in for evaluation. Her mother sits quietly but appears to be paying no attention to the conversation going on between you and Angela. Angela reports that her mother began to “fade away” beginning last month. Angela tells you, “she became forgetful and sometimes confused and she had been fine a few weeks before. She and I go to lunch about once a month and this time I went to pick her up and she was still in her nightgown and didn’t remember that I was coming. She didn’t even seem to know what time it was. I got her to go with me but I could tell at lunch she was not following the conversation. When she was still like this last week I decided we should come in here.” What chapter do you turn to? ____________________. What diagnosis do you choose? ____________________. Consult the Case Manager’s Toolbox in the Appendix to help you make this diagnosis. 

Working together in small groups, see how many of the following exercises you can complete. These are designed to familiarize you with where different material is located in the DSM 5. When it comes to actual diagnoses, there will often be discussions about what diagnosis to use. In other words, don’t expect that there is only one right answer. Discuss the cases with your colleagues and try to seek the best answer instead. After discussion, in which you will no doubt cover many of the issues raised in a real work situation, assign the diagnosis you feel is most appropriate.