What to expect from a memory clinic referral for dementia

[mbonfield]

My DP is at the start of memory loss and some days especially when waking are worse than others. Today
She thought that she was in the wrong house
She did not know who I was on two occasions, we have been married 35 years plus.
She was convinced she had a conversation with an unknown woman
She did not know how long we have lived at our current house.

This all started very gradually 2 years ago

She has had 2 tests at the local surgery and she has ben referred to the local Memory Loss Clinic. No idea how long this will be and Dr's surgery no clue not able to email no phone etc!

Anyone able to give advice, what to expect at the memory clinic and do they keep in touch?

Both my parents have had memory clinic referrals in the past couple years. Most recent one was my dad last summer - after the GP referral the clinic wrote to him and said they had the referral and indicated approx waiting time (think it was about 7 months).

In my dad’s case the referral got expedited due to a series of crises about three to four months later and he was seen a few weeks after that. These were major crises though involving police and paramedics a couple of times and accidental overdosing on medications - just to manage the expectations.

In 2024 I tried to see if my mum could get seen sooner going a private route but it wasn’t going to make that much difference so they just waited for the appointment. It may vary depending on where you are in the country as to how long you have to wait and if private can speed it up.

My mums was following normal GP referral. 16 week wait.
Various tests that look at cognition, language etc. I think a CT scan is usual but my mum had had one not long before.

She then had an appointment with a dementia specialist nurse who went through results and discussed next steps.

BlackRoseBlue Squirrelchops1

Thank you for the updates

My DP was referred to the Memory Clinic last year after mentioning memory problems to his GP. We then received a phone call from the Memory Clinic, which took the form of a questionnaire. As a result (and because there is a family history of Alzheimer’s), he was referred for a brain scan and we had a home based assessment from an Occupational Therapist. This took the form of a discussion about his daily life as well as a standard test that examined his memory. He then saw a consultant who referred him to a Neuro psychologist (because his symptoms were more complex than memory loss). He had more tests similar to the first. He has now been discharged from the Memory Clinic and has been referred to a neurologist.

As with most processes under the NHS, it was long. I think that we received the initial phone call in October 2024 and he was discharged in October 2025 - but the attention to detail and the willingness to help us has been excellent.

Mayim Thank you

some drugs that may hold it back might be suggested

Mayim As an update I did actually manage to track down the phone number as you suggested, re the local mental health clinic.
MY DP is on the waiting list and she could be seeing them next month.

Our local surgery have got it wrong again. I could write a book about it but I would not be believed!

@mbonfield So pleased you were able to contact them. When things go wrong it adds to the worries of caring. I found that our engagement with the Memory Clinic was really helpful. They spent a lot of time trying to pinpoint my partner’s symptoms. It is upsetting to read the reports containing the test results, as it brings everything home but I am glad that the referral was made, rather than just watching my partner getting worse.

Get in contact with your local Alzheimer's society for support and advice.