Before Diagnosis of Dementia is Established

Stage 1 - Visiting the person's GP

The person can visit the GP on their own but it may help if a friend or relative goes along with them.

Who may be involved?

• GP
• Practice Nurse

What can they do?

• Talk to the person to find out more about the problems being experienced.
• Talk to the friend or relative to find out more about their concerns.
• Conduct tests to eliminate the possibility of other illnesses being the cause of the problems.
• If the tests are negative, then the patient will be referred to a Specialist or Memory Clinic at a hospital.

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Stage 2 - Visit to the Specialist or Memory Clinic

This visit may take place at a hospital but in some cases patients will be visited in their homes.

'Specialist' means the consultant or junior doctor.

'Memory Clinics' are run by specialists who have expertise in the assessment diagnosis and treatment of conditions that can cause memory impairment. (For details of the Kingshill Memory Clinic, please click here.)

• Consultant Geriatrician - specialist in illnesses suffered by older people.
• Consultant Psychiatrist - specialist in mental illness.
• Consultant Neurologist - specialist in disorders of the brain and nerve pathways.
• Consultant Psychogeriatrician / Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry - specialist in mental illnesses of older people.
• Junior doctor - a specialist, fully qualified doctor who works closely with the consultant.
• Psychologist
• Radiologist
• Nurse

• The specialist will see the patient and will ask questions of the patient and their carer.
• The psychologist may conduct tests to assess memory and how the brain is processing information.
• The radiologist may be asked by the specialist to do a scan of the brain, usually either a MRI or CT scan.
• The nurse may conduct some physical tests such as taking blood samples, blood pressure or an ECG.
• When all the results are back, which may take some weeks, the specialist will discuss the results.
• If dementia is diagnosed, the patient may be referred to the community team for assessment.

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