Dementia: diagnosis

Getting a diagnosis if dementia is suspected

If you are concerned about changes experienced by yourself or someone close to you, it is important to seek help from your GP. There are several treatable conditions that can have an effect on memory and brain function, which might appear like symptoms of dementia. Although the thought of investigations might be scary, there are lots of reasons why early diagnosis is preferable to just waiting to see what happens.

Dementia UK have a really useful leaflet on their website:

Dementia UK: getting a diagnosis (external website).

There is also a Which? Guide to Later Life Care (external website).

What to do when a new diagnosis of dementia is received

A diagnosis may feel overwhelming. It can be difficult to take everything in immediately and so it is a good idea to give yourself a bit of time to read any information that you may have been given. Keep a note of contact details for whoever has been involved in the diagnosis, so you can perhaps speak to them again at a later date.

NHS UK has some useful information on their website to help you to plan what to do for the future:

NHS UK: What to do if you've just been diagnosed with dementia (external website).