Caring For a Family Member with Dementia

Caring For a Family Member with Dementia

The Age Matters Clinic provides a specialist psychotherapeutic consultation service for people caring for a relative with memory loss or dementia and we would be glad to meet with you to think in more depth about your situation.

Noticing memory loss and confusion in a partner is worrying. You can download booklets free of charge on dementia and depression from http://www.alzheimers.org.uk. and http://www.ageconcern.org.uk. You may also want to read the National Dementia Strategy (DOH2009) which emphasises the need for early diagnosis and the importance of support for people caring for a relative with dementia. ‘Coping with Memory Problems’ by Linda Clare and Barbara A. Wilson is a helpful introduction to understanding memory problems and how to cope and adapt.

It can be hard to know where to start in accessing a proper diagnosis - research has indicated that it can often take up to 3-5 years from the point of initial symptoms to being referred for a specialist assessment.  If you are worried about a member of your family, arrange to see your GP to discuss your concerns.  Some G.P.‘s are more aware of services for people with dementia than others, but if you and your relative are worried, ask your GP to write a letter of referral to the local specialist mental health team for older people (MHTOP) or to a neurologist or clinical/neuropsychologist. You may need to push for a specialist assessment, but if you are worried keep going.

The Dementia Strategy recommends that there is a Memory Clinic in every town to speed up the process of early diagnosis. If your family member is referred to a Memory Clinic, they may be seen by an old age psychiatrist, community nurse, clinical psychologist or neuropsychologist.  Some clinics are able to offer post-diagnostic counselling.  Ask about this before you go along for the first appointment.  If a neuropsychological assessment is arranged for your relative you may find it helpful to request to see a member of the team or the neuropsychologist who undertook part of the assessment for two or three follow up meetings to talk through the impact of the assessment process. This follow on service post diagnosis is still in the early stages of development, and it is always worth finding out whether your local Memory Service is able to offer follow-on therapeutic help and support to help you and your relative digest the impact of the diagnosis and think about the future with skilled help.

If you would like to be seen independently, Age Matters provides a psychoanalytically informed consultation, assessment and post diagnostic therapeutic support service for people with dementia and their families and professional caregivers. If you would like to arrange a consultation appointment for yourself or home visit for your relative, please telephone 020 7482 6413.

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