How to get a dementia diagnosis
How To Get A Diagnosis - and what happens next
The following information has been provided by the Memory Service of the Liverpool division of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, which also operates in Southport and Formby, South Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Halton and Warrington, providing physical health and mental health services for more than 11 million people.
If you or a family member/friend may have noticed a change in memory or other areas of cognitive function which doesn’t go away, the first thing to do is to make an appointment with your GP, who will check whether there is a physical cause for changes, listen to how and when you noticed changes and may complete a basic memory test. If the GP thinks it requires some further investigation, they will make a referral for a further assessment at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Memory Service.
Memory assessment - what to expect
You (or your family member/friend) will have an appointment with a doctor who specialises in working with memory problems. This may be face to face, on-line or by telephone, with a relative or friend expected to attend too.
The doctor will ask the person how they are, the history of any medical conditions and the nature of any memory or other cognitive problems. The doctor will also listen to the account of the relative. The doctor will then complete a memory assessment. Depending on the outcome of this assessment the doctor may suggest a brain scan, have some further tests by a clinical psychologist or may be able to say whether they think there is a problem or not there and then.
The doctor may think that there is no underlying memory problem in which case there will be no need for a further appointment.
The doctor may think there are some mild changes in memory or another area of cognitive function, but these do not meet the medical criteria for a diagnosis of dementia to be made. This is called mild cognitive impairment. If the doctor thinks there is a mild cognitive impairment, then he will ask the GP to monitor this and there wouldn’t be a need for another appointment unless the situation changes.
When the doctor has the results of any further tests that they have requested they will make an appointment to discuss these.
Some people will be told that they have a diagnosis of dementia. We all react in different ways to this news, sometimes it may be a shock, or you may have been expecting it, but one of the most important things is to get some support.
Post diagnostic support
The memory service at Mersey Care offers support groups for people with dementia and carers who have received a recent diagnosis of any type of dementia.
These groups run in a variety of settings and can be in person or online. They are facilitated by staff and involve meeting with other people who will be in a similar situation. There are 7 sessions with one session running each week.
They involve a mix of information sharing and support. It covers topics like what is dementia, how memory and the brain work, practical solutions, legal issues, financial matters, managing stress and where to get further help and support.
Memory Information Pack
The memory information pack is produced by Mersey Care Memory Service and provides information, contact details and advice about a range of issues and services which will help provide information and support.
Community mental health team (CMHT)
Sometimes the doctor may feel that a patient may need the support of one of the practitioners in the CMHT for a time limited period. They will visit to provide support, may monitor them while they commence medication, assess how they are managing at home and whether they need any additional support.
Once things are settled the practitioner will finish visiting and hand over to the care navigator team. They may get involved again if your needs change or require more support in the future.
Medication
For certain types of dementia, medication can be prescribed. The medication will not help all types of dementia but if the doctor feels that a patient has a type of dementia which may respond to medication, he or she will prescribe it and a nurse from the community team will monitor the patient until the right dose has been settled on.
Care navigators
Everyone who is given a diagnosis is eligible to receive support from the care navigator service. Their role is to make contact every 6 months to check how things are, provide advice, support, referral on to other services.
It's not necessary to wait to be contacted - anyone can contact the care navigators for advice and support at any point. They work Monday to Friday 9-5pm and the contact number is 0151 250 6125.
As the nurses and CMHT practitioners cannot keep visiting people indefinitely the care navigators are the service to contact for any advice and support that's needed and no-one will be discharged from this service.
Cognitive stimulation therapy
The memory service also run cognitive stimulation therapy groups which are a treatment for people with mild to moderate dementia. The groups involve stimulating the brain by keeping people active and engaged in activities and stimulation.
The person with dementia attends these groups and they run twice a week for 7 sessions. Research supports the effectiveness of these groups. Contact the memory service or care navigators on 250 6125 if you would like to attend.
Groups
There are a range of group activities for people with dementia which are provided by other organisations. It is important for people with dementia to meet others socially and attend activities which provide stimulation.
It is worth trying some of the different activities and social groups to find something that suits your needs.
Carers
If you are a carer you are entitled to an assessment in your own right via Careline or Liverpool Carers Centre. Please contact either of those organisations to arrange an assessment.
Careline number: 0151 233 3800
Liverpool Carers Centre: 0151 705 2307.
Email: [email protected]
There is also a range of carer support groups run by Mersey Care and by other organisations. Carers can also contact the care navigator at any point for advice and support.
The following information has been provided by the Memory Service of the Liverpool division of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, which also operates in Southport and Formby, South Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens, Halton and Warrington, providing physical health and mental health services for more than 11 million people.
If you or a family member/friend may have noticed a change in memory or other areas of cognitive function which doesn’t go away, the first thing to do is to make an appointment with your GP, who will check whether there is a physical cause for changes, listen to how and when you noticed changes and may complete a basic memory test. If the GP thinks it requires some further investigation, they will make a referral for a further assessment at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Memory Service.
Memory assessment - what to expect
You (or your family member/friend) will have an appointment with a doctor who specialises in working with memory problems. This may be face to face, on-line or by telephone, with a relative or friend expected to attend too.
The doctor will ask the person how they are, the history of any medical conditions and the nature of any memory or other cognitive problems. The doctor will also listen to the account of the relative. The doctor will then complete a memory assessment. Depending on the outcome of this assessment the doctor may suggest a brain scan, have some further tests by a clinical psychologist or may be able to say whether they think there is a problem or not there and then.
The doctor may think that there is no underlying memory problem in which case there will be no need for a further appointment.
The doctor may think there are some mild changes in memory or another area of cognitive function, but these do not meet the medical criteria for a diagnosis of dementia to be made. This is called mild cognitive impairment. If the doctor thinks there is a mild cognitive impairment, then he will ask the GP to monitor this and there wouldn’t be a need for another appointment unless the situation changes.
When the doctor has the results of any further tests that they have requested they will make an appointment to discuss these.
Some people will be told that they have a diagnosis of dementia. We all react in different ways to this news, sometimes it may be a shock, or you may have been expecting it, but one of the most important things is to get some support.
Post diagnostic support
The memory service at Mersey Care offers support groups for people with dementia and carers who have received a recent diagnosis of any type of dementia.
These groups run in a variety of settings and can be in person or online. They are facilitated by staff and involve meeting with other people who will be in a similar situation. There are 7 sessions with one session running each week.
They involve a mix of information sharing and support. It covers topics like what is dementia, how memory and the brain work, practical solutions, legal issues, financial matters, managing stress and where to get further help and support.
Memory Information Pack
The memory information pack is produced by Mersey Care Memory Service and provides information, contact details and advice about a range of issues and services which will help provide information and support.
Community mental health team (CMHT)
Sometimes the doctor may feel that a patient may need the support of one of the practitioners in the CMHT for a time limited period. They will visit to provide support, may monitor them while they commence medication, assess how they are managing at home and whether they need any additional support.
Once things are settled the practitioner will finish visiting and hand over to the care navigator team. They may get involved again if your needs change or require more support in the future.
Medication
For certain types of dementia, medication can be prescribed. The medication will not help all types of dementia but if the doctor feels that a patient has a type of dementia which may respond to medication, he or she will prescribe it and a nurse from the community team will monitor the patient until the right dose has been settled on.
Care navigators
Everyone who is given a diagnosis is eligible to receive support from the care navigator service. Their role is to make contact every 6 months to check how things are, provide advice, support, referral on to other services.
It's not necessary to wait to be contacted - anyone can contact the care navigators for advice and support at any point. They work Monday to Friday 9-5pm and the contact number is 0151 250 6125.
As the nurses and CMHT practitioners cannot keep visiting people indefinitely the care navigators are the service to contact for any advice and support that's needed and no-one will be discharged from this service.
Cognitive stimulation therapy
The memory service also run cognitive stimulation therapy groups which are a treatment for people with mild to moderate dementia. The groups involve stimulating the brain by keeping people active and engaged in activities and stimulation.
The person with dementia attends these groups and they run twice a week for 7 sessions. Research supports the effectiveness of these groups. Contact the memory service or care navigators on 250 6125 if you would like to attend.
Groups
There are a range of group activities for people with dementia which are provided by other organisations. It is important for people with dementia to meet others socially and attend activities which provide stimulation.
It is worth trying some of the different activities and social groups to find something that suits your needs.
Carers
If you are a carer you are entitled to an assessment in your own right via Careline or Liverpool Carers Centre. Please contact either of those organisations to arrange an assessment.
Careline number: 0151 233 3800
Liverpool Carers Centre: 0151 705 2307.
Email: [email protected]
There is also a range of carer support groups run by Mersey Care and by other organisations. Carers can also contact the care navigator at any point for advice and support.