Younger Persons with Dementia Team

About us

The aim of our service supports people who may be worried about their memory and cognitive functioning. As a service we:

• provide specialist assessment, care planning, treatment, and support of younger adults with dementia.
• provide a diagnosis.
• minimise experiences of impairment and disability to allow individuals to live well with dementia.
• support families and carers within their caring roles and promote their health and wellbeing needs.

The first step is to complete an assessment to rule out any other causes that may be impacting memory symptoms.

Assessment - what to expect

Assessment may take place in a clinic, GP surgery, or your own home. This usually lasts 1-2 hours. A family member or friend is welcomed to attend in order to provide you with support.  We will explore your current memory symptoms with you and your significant others. We will ask you questions about your general health, background history, and mental health. We will complete a cognitive test with you which is a series of questions and tasks that help us look at your cognitive skills.It may be that we require some further assessment for example an assessment of your day to day living skills or a driving assessment (paper exercise). We may request for you to have an MRI brain scan but will discuss this with you following the initial assessment. At the end of the assessment,  we will discuss with you the outcome and any further assessment required if necessary. You will receive a written report of your assessment and the advised outcomes.

What is early onset dementia?

Dementia in adults under the age of 65 is referred to as early-onset dementia. Younger adults tend to have rarer types of dementia and the support they require will again be different from that of the older adult with dementia.

Dementia is a progressive brain condition which can be characterised by some of the following symptoms:

1. Memory loss.
2. Difficulties with thinking, problem solving or language.
3. Changes within the functioning of daily activities.
4. Changes in spatial awareness/ vision.
5. Changes in mood, behaviour or personality.
6. Confusion.
7. Disorientation to time and place.
8. Problems with words/speech/writing.
9. Misplacing things.
10. Problem controlling emotions.
11. Decreased judgement and decision making.
12. Social withdrawal.
13. Loss of empathy and compassion.
14. Hallucinations.

 

Research

NHFT have a research department that carry out dementia related research.

Where appropriate you will be offered the opportunity to be contacted about any studies that may be suitable for you. This is optional.