QUALITY STANDARDS

If you notice changes in your memory and ability to do things that you used to find easy to do you can make an appointment with your GP for an assessment. At this appointment, you will have an initial memory assessment completed. The GP can also arrange for investigations to be undertaken to rule out other potential causes for memory loss, and may refer you to a Memory Assessment Service if appropriate. You will be able to access support and information whilst you await your assessment.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Your GP may undertake an initial memory assessment before referring you to a  Memory Assessment Services for further assessment. The Memory Assessment Service will offer you an appointment to be seen and assessed by them. You should hear from them within 2 weeks of your referral.
Your GP should provide you with advice on who to contact if you have not heard from the Memory Assessment Services within 2 weeks.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Staff who work with older people are provided with relevant training on how to spot the signs of mild cognitive impairment and dementia and how to refer someone for an assessment. You will also be provided with all the necessary information and support leading up to the assessment.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.
 
 

If you or a family member has symptoms of dementia it is important to be diagnosed as early as possible. Earlier diagnosis allows for early interventions which enables people with dementia to live independently for longer.
Health and social care professionals should act on reports or observations of symptoms to facilitate early diagnosis. Once diagnosed, people with dementia should be offered interventions and not have to wait until their symptoms worsen.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Clear information should be available to people with dementia. This recommendation involves making you aware of what to expect during your visit to the Memory Assessment Service. When you receive a letter inviting you for an appointment with the Memory Assessment Service you should also receive clear information about what to expect at the appointment and what the service does. You may want to make contact and provide some information at this stage, which would help the Memory Assessment Service plan for your attending the appointment, for example, are you attending the appointment with a family member or not? Would either of you welcome talking to somebody in private?
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

You may have received an appointment to see the Memory Assessment Service. In case, you have lost the letter or you have forgotten about the appointment. If this happens, The Memory Assessment Service should follow up those who have not attended an appointment or who are difficult to engage. The Memory Assessment Service should contact you directly by telephone to check that you are still fine to attend. You need also to agree a new appointment. They should also ensure to remind you about the appointment nearer to the date. The Memory Assessment Service team should follows up patients who have not attended an appointment/assessment. If patients are unable to be engaged, a decision is made by the assessor/team, based on patient need and risk, as to how long to continue to follow up the patient.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

People with dementia will be provided with a specific diagnosis of your type of dementia, even if you have a rare form of dementia or unusual symptoms, are under 60 years of age or living in a care home. This may come from your GP, a Memory Assessment Service, or another specialist service provider such as Neurology. There may be a number of different health care specialities involved where diagnoses are complex.
Download a printable PDF version of the Understanding Different Types of Dementia infographic (PDF, 2M).
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

When your GP receives notification of your dementia diagnosis, the practice will ensure that it is clearly recorded and entered onto the dementia register so that you can be easily identified as living with dementia.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

If you care for somebody who has received a diagnosis of dementia you are entitled to a carer's assessment by the local authority. They will assess your needs as a carer and work with you to understand if there is any provision or support which may help you.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

There are medications available which can help manage symptoms for some types of dementia: these are - donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine and memantine.
After diagnosis, Memory Assessment Service staff, or your GP, will discuss the opportunity to commence dementia treatment with you, and the potential benefits and side effects are discussed in detail. This includes a discussion about when and how to administer the medication.
If you agree to commence dementia treatment there will be a planned follow-up appointment made to review this treatment, which could be with a memory assessment practitioner or your GP.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

A timely diagnosis of dementia is an important step in receiving the tailored support and treatment.  A timely diagnosis of dementia will enable people to lead full lives, engaged with their families and communities, for as long as possible. Early diagnosis gives people the best opportunity to plan for the future, and can help prevent crises.
There are also a growing number of treatments available that may slow the progression of the disease. That is why it’s so important that people don’t have to wait more than 6 weeks between their referral to a memory assessment service and receiving a diagnosis and developing and agreeing a care plan. Not only do delays add considerable costs to the NHS, waiting months for a diagnosis is unacceptable and detrimental to the long-term mental health of people living with dementia, and for their families and carers. We would not tolerate such a long wait for a cancer diagnosis, for example.
If you are diagnosed with dementia the Memory Assessment Service staff will explore with you if you want to know your diagnosis. They will offer you the opportunity to receive a letter with the results of your assessment and diagnosis detailed on it, as well as what the next steps would be. The Memory Assessment Service will offer you time to talk through your understanding of your diagnosis, what it means to you and who you are happy to share this diagnosis with, including your family members or others.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

After the Memory Assessment Service diagnoses you with dementia they will write to your GP to set out how they will work together to manage the care of your dementia and what their responsibilities will be.
Any medicine you have been prescribed for dementia will be continued and monitored by your GP.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Arts and creative therapies are offered to people at early stages. Arts can stimulate sensory and motor activation, encourage social engagement, stimulate learning through creativity in a failure-free environment and help build cognitive reserve.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Your GP may undertake an initial assessment to consider whether you have a Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) clinical syndrome. Following a diagnosis, you should be offered a review which will help you to understand your diagnosis and to access support and interventions which could lower your risk of developing dementia. Since MCI is not a dementia diagnosis but could indicate that your are at higher risk of developing dementia later in life, you should also be offered access to research trials which may reduce this risk: you can find out more about about what research is available to you at Join Dementia Research.
 
For extra information, evidence and best practice please scroll down to the bottom of the page.