Most people perceive dementia as a disease affecting our older population but in fact dementia can affect anyone at any age. The term ‘working age dementia’ is used to describe a person below the age of 65 who has been diagnosed with dementia. Other terms that are also used are ‘younger people with dementia’, ‘early onset dementia’, and ‘work age dementia’.
Whilst symptoms of dementia are similar regardless of age, people below the age of 65 have very different needs requiring a different approach. In Nottinghamshire we have a specialist working age dementia (WAD) service, comprising of a multi-disciplinary diagnostic clinic led by an occupational therapist consultant, a consultant psychiatrist, a consultant neurologist, and neuro-psychologist. This provides advanced diagnostic imaging with specialist scans as well as comprehensive neuro-psychological assessment to aid in diagnosis.
The priority for this service is maintaining individuals in the community with community based services as its focal point. Service users will be referred to the Mental Health Services for Oder People (MHSOP) community team working in the area they live where they will be able to access specialist community nurses and occupational therapists for ongoing assessment, treatment and support and access the support service from the Alzheimer’s society. This specialist service also signposts people to other services that are available to them.
We work closely with our colleagues in social services who run a WAD day care facility based in Kirkby in Ashfield in the North of the county called New Outlook and we also have our own specialist WAD day care provider, Mabon House at The Meadows in Nottingham.
Any referral to our service for someone with a cognitive impairment below the age of 65 years will automatically go to this specialist team who will provide a comprehensive assessment.
For more information about WAD contact:
Tracey Wilkinson
Occupational Therapy Consultant in Working Age Dementia
General Management Suite
76 Portland Street
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
NG17 7AQ
01623 785431
Or visit the following websites:
Pick's Disease Support Group
Alzheimer's Society
