Young Onset Dementia

Young Onset Dementia Dementia is often seen as a condition affecting our older population but in fact dementia can affect anyone at any age. Throughout the UK it is estimated that there are over 40,000 people below the age of 65 living with dementia.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare has developed a specialist Young Onset Dementia Pathway to ensure people under the age of 65 with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of dementia have access to timely assessment, diagnosis, treatment and support.

Our Young Onset Dementia Pathway is based within our Older People Care Unit, so that our service users have access to a range of dementia services after their diagnosis. Our pathway covers Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and Bassetlaw.

Our aim is to help people living with a diagnosis of young onset dementia to remain active and well in the community and this begins with access to timely diagnosis.

Our Young Onset Dementia Pathway provides a specialist assessment and diagnostic service with access to a range of clinicians and investigations, such as brain imaging, for people with suspected dementia.

If a diagnosis of dementia is confirmed, we will work with the person and their family to develop a care plan to help manage symptoms and maintain activity and wellbeing in the community. This care plan may include any of the following, depending on ongoing care needs:

  • Advice and information on diagnosis and the support available
  • Medication (if appropriate)
  • Onward referral to our Therapeutic Intervention Service for post-diagnostic treatment and peer support
  • Onward referral to other services across the dementia pathway such as our Community Mental Health Teams or Intensive Home Treatment Teams
  • Signposting or onward referral to social care or voluntary organisations such as the Alzheimer's Society and Tuvida (carers support organisation)

Attending the Young Onset Dementia Service

Following your referral to the Young Onset Dementia Service, your initial appointment will usually last approximately 60 to 90 minutes.  We always encourage people to be accompanied by a family member or friend if possible.

We always maintain the highest levels of data protection, security and Patient confidentiality and we take our obligation to patient confidentiality seriously.  In order to retain patient confidence, the Trust is committed in keeping patient information safe.  You will be asked to give consent to the assessment process.  Consent means a person must give permission before they receive any type of medical treatment, test or examination.  The principle of consent is an important part of medial ethics and international human rights law.  More information can be found by visiting the Consent to Treatment-NHS (www.nhs.uk) website.

A full assessment is carried out which will include discussing your current memory problems, past physical health history, any medication you may be taking and your ability to carry out day to day activities.

We will also carry out a memory assessment test during the appointment and this will look at attention, memory, language, learning and recall.

Please bring with you any hearing aids and / or glasses you may require.  Please also bring with you a list of your current medications.

We may also ask you to have further investigations carried out such as blood tests, ECG (recording of the heart) and brain imaging such as an MRI head scan.  We will discuss these investigations with you and get your consent to proceed.  It may time to get these results back but we will be in touch as soon as we are able to discuss the next steps.

Depending on the outcome of your assessment, we may recommend an assessment by our Occupational Therapist or our Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Psychologist.

The whole assessment is not designed to be intrusive but to help us gather as much information as possible in order to give an accurate diagnosis during your follow up appointment.

Once all the assessments and investigation necessary have been completed we will arrange a follow up appointment with one of our clinicians to discuss our findings and explain what will happen next.  You are welcome to have a family member, carer or friend present.

If you require an interpreter for your appointments or would like to speak to a member of the Young Onset Dementia service to discuss ny further queries please give us a call on 0115 956 0884.

Whilst you are waiting for your appointment to take place, you can also contact the Alzheimer's Society Dementia Support line on 0333 150 3456 or visit Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk) who can give you support and advise, and connect you to the help you may need.

The waiting well leaflet also gives you details of where you can access support whilst waiting for your appointment to take place.

  • Waiting Well Leaflet

Service opening hours

Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 4.30pm.

Contact and find us

Young Onset Dementia
General Management Suite
76 Portland Street
Kirkby in Ashfield
Nottinghamshire
NG17 7AG

Tel: 0115 956 0884

Email: YODTeam@nottshc.nhs.uk

Help in a crisis

Outside of office hours please contact your GP service, NHS 111, or in an emergency attend your local accident and emergency (A&E) department.

Information for health professionals

To refer a patient to the service please refer via the persons GP. Referrals can be sent to the services central email address YODTeam@nottshc.nhs.uk.

Young Onset Dementia
General Management Suite
76 Portland Street
Kirkby in Ashfield
NG17 7AG

Tel: 0115 956 0884

Support groups

There are support groups for people under 65 with dementia, as well as their carers and families, across the county. We can signpost you to support in your local area.

Useful support networks include:

For more information, please contact us on 0115 956 0884.

 

 

Rate this page or report a problem

Rate this page or report a problem
Rating
*

branding footer logo