The 3-step diagnosis process
If you think you might have dementia you need to book an appointment with your GP for an assessment and you can read more about what this involves here.
Step 1: The GP assessment
When you book with your GP, let them know that you’d like to be assessed for dementia – the receptionist may need to book you a longer appointment.
Take someone with you as well as a list of symptoms and details of how they affect your day-to-day life.
Your GP is likely to do some brief tests. For example, he or she will ask some questions and may ask you to name common objects in a picture or to complete a drawing. You might be given a concentration test. Some doctors do a physical examination.
You might find that your GP asks for you to do some blood tests to rule out other conditions that could be responsible for your symptoms.
Step 2: Further tests
If dementia is ruled out, your GP will let you know. Chase up the test results if you haven’t heard from your surgery.
If your GP thinks that dementia might be the cause of the issues you’re experiencing, he or she might refer you for further tests with a specialist in your area, usually at a memory clinic.
There can be a wait for specialist dementia assessments, depending on where you live. In some areas the wait is several weeks or months.
These appointments take some time and might include brain scans as well as further memory, spatial and language tests. They might take place over the course of a few appointments and it’s not uncommon for the whole process to take a few months.
Step 3: Your diagnosis
At the end of the testing process your specialist will be able to tell you whether you have dementia and if so, what type you have.
You’ll also be talked through what symptoms to expect in the future, whether medication will help you and what support is available to you.
Worried about going for a dementia diagnosis? Chat to others about their experiences here.
Sources:
https://www.dementiauk.org/wp-content/uploads/dementia-uk-getting-a-diagnosis.pdf