The Memory Assessment Service consists of psychiatrists, nurses, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and administration staff.
A member of the team, usually one of our senior practitioners (a nurse or occupational therapist by background) will meet with person who is experiencing memory problems to complete an assessment. We see people in a clinic based in one of our Trust premises. We will see people at their home if they are really not able to get to the clinic. Wherever possible, we also like someone who knows the person well to be involved in the assessment.
The Memory Assessment Service provides specialist assessment and diagnosis and enables people with dementia and their families to access appropriate treatments, interventions and support.
There are four components to the standard assessment process. They are:
- Pre-assessment counselling to ensure the person understands the reason for the assessment, the possible outcomes and most importantly gives their informed consent
- The assessment, which includes clinical history taking, memory/cognitive testing and a brain scan if appropriate
- Feedback of the assessment outcome in accordance with the person’s wishes
- Support Planning, which outlines support systems and interventions for the person and their family
Sometimes the person experiencing memory problems or other cognitive difficulties may need further assessments. These may include completing more in-depth paper-and-pencil memory/cognitive tests with a clinical psychologist or a having a detailed assessment of day-to-day functioning with an occupational therapist. Occasionally, the person may need to see one of the medical doctors in their outpatient clinic.
Sometimes we cannot be sure about what is causing the memory or cognitive problems. We may need to see the person again in 12 months’ time to repeat the assessment to see if things have changed.