Help & Support

A full assessment of your condition is essential in order to be sure about a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Memory loss or deteriorating cognitive function may have other medical causes which are treatable.

A diagnosis should be sought as early as possible, as it will:

• help you plan for the future
• enable you to benefit from medication available
• help you get advice and support.

There is no straight-forward test for dementia. A diagnosis is usually made by excluding other conditions such as depression, side effects of medication, infections, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid gland problems and brain tumours. Therefore it is important a full medical examination is carried out.

This part of our website has been written with the help and advice of people with dementia. Their experiences, practical tips and advice show there are different ways of living with dementia.

What happens when I am diagnosed with dementia?

Being diagnosed with dementia may come as a shock both to you and those close to you. However, much can be done to ensure you remain as independent as possible and can continue to enjoy life.