If you're becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you're over the age of 65, it may be a good idea to talk to your GP about early signs of dementia.
As you get older, you may find that your memory is not as good as it used to be. It’s normal for your memory to be affected by age, stress, tiredness, certain illnesses, or the medications for them. This can be annoying if it happens occasionally, but if it’s affecting your daily life or it’s worrying you, seek help.
Your GP will discuss the possible causes of memory loss with you, including dementia. Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with the decline of the brain and its abilities.
Other symptoms can include:
- increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require concentration and planning
- depression
- changes in personality and mood
- periods of mental confusion
- difficulty saying the right words
Most types of dementia can't be cured, but if it's detected early, there are ways you can slow it down and maintain mental function.
Early diagnosis is therefore a crucial part of coping with dementia, says Clive Evers, director of knowledge management at the Alzheimer’s Society. "It is crucial to get a diagnosis. It’s a really important first step in getting treatment and care. Diagnosis can rule out other conditions that might be treatable, such as depression, and other causes of confusion.
A diagnosis can also help a person get information, advice and support, and enable them and their family to plan for the future."
Evers explains the key steps in diagnosing dementia and receiving treatment:
The initial consultation
The first step is to get an assessment by your GP. They can make a diagnosis, but may not have access to the appropriate tests. Therefore the GP may decide to refer you to a specialist. Most commonly, the specialist will be an old-age psychiatrist or perhaps a geriatrician. It could be a neurologist if you're under 65 years old.
Getting a full assessment
The next step will be to get a full assessment. Memory Clinics are becoming more widely available although they’re not yet widespread. A Memory Clinic can analyse the previous medical information gathered by the specialist or GP. You may then be asked to have a physical examination and some mental tests where your behaviour may be assessed. You may also be given a brain scan.
It's important to make good use of this medical consultation. Write down questions you want to ask, make a note of any medical terms the doctor might use, and ask if you can come back if you think of any more questions you want to ask. Taking the opportunity to go back is quite important.
Get a full explanation
Another important step in the process is the doctor explaining the diagnosis. You have a right to know your diagnosis, but because there’s still a lot of stigma and anxiety about the condition, some doctors may hesitate to explain the diagnosis fully. They may feel justified in not doing so immediately, and may tell a carer or a family member instead. But the person with dementia ultimately has a right to know.
Ongoing assessment
The next step might be what's called ongoing assessment. The GP should arrange to see you from time to time to see how you're getting on. Because dementia is a progressive condition, the doctor may arrange another appointment with the specialist, perhaps after six months or a year. The GP and the specialist may also jointly prescribe any treatment that might be helpful.
Treatment and medication
Depending on the stage of the condition, or any other issues observed by the doctor, you may be prescribed treatment such as anti-dementia drugs. However, not everybody will benefit from these drugs.
You may be suffering from depression along with the dementia. There are many treatments for this. Therefore, the GP may consider giving you an anti-depression prescription, with input from the specialist or old-age psychiatrist.
Most types of dementia can't be cured, but there are some exceptions. For example, dementia caused by a head injury, fluid on the brain or a tumour can be treated with surgery.
But for dementia that cannot be cured, such as Alzheimer’s, there are medicines that can be prescribed initially by a consultant, and repeated by the GP. These are generally prescribed to people in the early and middle stages of the disease. They may prevent certain symptoms getting worse for a period of time. See more about treatments for Alzheimer's.
Perhaps the most important type of treatment is support and care. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, you should start planning the care that will be required in the future. Discuss the options with the people concerned: your family, your GP and local authority. The Alzheimer’s Society is also a valuable source of support. It has branches in England, Ireland and Wales.
Finally, there are things you yourself can do to maintain memory, independence and function. See Living with dementia for more information on this.
