memory clinic

The memory clinic is a key component of the work of the community mental health and memory service . The service provides specialist assessment, diagnosis and treatment to people with dementia, as well as providing support to their carers.

The range of services provided by the memory clinic includes:

• pre- and post-diagnostic counselling, detailed assessments, follow-up care and support
• counselling and support for carers
• liaison with other health services, social services and voluntary sector organisations
• initiation and monitoring of medicines and treatments, including psychological and social
• treatments
• planning for future care
• education for students, GPs and health planners
• providing information and education for a person and carer
• referrals to other appropriate agencies.

Our memory clinic helps to overcome stigma in people accessing the services and their carers. We encourage early referral and diagnosis for people accessing the memory clinic services, as it can benefit the person and carer in many ways:

• access to specialist treatments
• planning of future care
• helping families to come to terms with a mental health problem
• helping an understanding of changes in memory, behaviour and personality
• better quality of life for person and carer.

The memory clinic provides pharmaceutical treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, which can delay the progression of symptoms. This treatment offers most hope to the person when it is prescribed in the early stages of the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

How to access the memory clinic service

You can get a referral to the memory clinic service directly via the mental health Single Point of Access.

The referral would lead to an assessment by the community mental health and memory service team.

For more information, telephone the community mental health and memory service team: 01472 625950