This page is part of PrimeCarers' guide to dementia care. It covers how a diagnosis is reached in England and what to do once it has been given. If you want to know what the different kinds of dementia are, the different types of dementia explains them.
The short answer
- The GP looks for treatable causes firstAn infection, an underactive thyroid, low vitamin B12, a medicine or low mood can all affect memory and thinking, and they are checked before dementia is considered.
- Your parent has to agree to be assessedYou cannot make an adult go, but you can write to or ring their GP with what you have noticed. The GP can listen to you without breaking confidentiality.
- The memory clinic does the fuller assessmentA specialist team takes a longer history, carries out more detailed memory tests and often arranges a brain scan. How long the wait is depends on where you live.
- Some things are worth doing in the first weeksTelling the DVLA if they drive, a lasting power of attorney while they can still make one, the benefits, and a carer's assessment for you.
Checked against the NHS, NICE guideline NG97, GOV.UK and the Alzheimer's Society, September 2026. This page describes the route in England.
The route, start to finish
From the first worry to the first weeks after a diagnosis
The route the NHS describes has five stops. Knowing them helps you see where you are now and what the next appointment is for.
- 1
Noticing and writing it down
You and your relative
What happens
Changes in memory, mood or behaviour that have built up over months, such as repeated questions, missed bills or getting lost on a familiar route.
What you can do
Write down what has changed, roughly when it started, and two or three examples. Make a list of every medicine they take.
- 2
The GP appointment
Their GP
What happens
Questions about the symptoms and daily life, a physical check, blood and urine tests, and a short memory test. The aim at this stage is to find or rule out other causes.
What you can do
Go with them if they are happy for you to. NICE asks GPs to take a history from somebody who knows the person well.
- 3
The memory assessment service
A specialist team, often called the memory clinic
What happens
A longer assessment with a psychiatrist, geriatrician or neurologist and their team: a more detailed history, more detailed memory tests, and often a brain scan.
What you can do
Take your notes and the medicines list again. Write your questions down before you go.
- 4
The diagnosis appointment
Usually the doctor who assessed them
What happens
Whether it is dementia, which type if that is clear, what treatment is suitable, and who the named contact will be from now on.
What you can do
Ask for everything in writing. NICE says your relative should be asked which people the services may share information with.
- 5
The first weeks afterwards
The family, with the named contact
What happens
Telling the DVLA and the car insurer, a lasting power of attorney, Attendance Allowance or PIP, a carer's assessment, and the dementia charities.
What you can do
Take these one at a time. The lasting power of attorney is the one where timing matters most.
The route the NHS and NICE guideline NG97 describe for England. The time between each stop depends on the area and the service, so ask the GP and the memory service what to expect locally.
Not everyone goes through every stop. The GP may find another cause at the second stop and treat it, and that is a good outcome. Equally, a normal result on the short memory test at the GP's surgery does not settle the matter: NICE guideline NG97 tells doctors not to rule out dementia solely because somebody has a normal score on a cognitive test. If you are still worried after a normal result, say so and ask what the next step is.
The NHS sets out the same route in its guide to how dementia is diagnosed. We cannot tell you how long each stage will take. Waits for a memory assessment vary from one area to another and from one service to the next, and the GP or the memory service is the only place to find out what to expect locally. If the wait feels long and things are getting harder at home, tell the GP; they may be able to advise on help in the meantime.
Why the GP comes first
Why it is worth going to the GP, even if you are fairly sure
Memory and thinking problems have more than one cause, and some of them can be treated. The NHS says a GP will do a physical examination and arrange tests to rule these out before dementia is considered.
An infection
Often a urine infection
An underactive thyroid
Checked with a blood test
Low vitamin B12 or folate
Checked with a blood test
A medicine, or a combination of them
Worth a review
Low mood, anxiety or stress
Worth raising with the GP
Poor sight or hearing
Easy to overlook
A GP appointment is worth making even if you feel sure it is dementia. If another cause is found, it can be treated. If it is dementia, the NHS says a diagnosis gives your relative and the family the best chance to prepare for the future, and it opens the door to treatment, support and the practical steps further down this page.
If they do not want to go
Raising it with a parent who does not want to go
A parent who is worried about their memory may be frightened of what the GP will say, or may not have noticed the changes that you have. Both are common reactions, and neither means the conversation is over.
What tends to help
- Choosing a quiet time at home, in a place that feels familiar to them
- Giving one or two specific examples, such as a missed appointment or a bill paid twice
- Saying that memory problems have several causes and some of them can be treated
- Listening to what worries them about going, and taking the worry seriously
- Offering to book the appointment and go with them
- Putting it as something that would help you, if that is true
What tends to make it harder
- Raising it in front of other people, or in the middle of a disagreement
- Using the word dementia before a doctor has
- A long list of everything they have forgotten recently
- Testing them with questions about the date or what they had for lunch
- Arranging the appointment without telling them and hoping they will go
The Alzheimer's Society advises choosing somewhere familiar and non-threatening, a quiet time, and reassuring, non-judgemental words. It is often easier to talk about one worry, such as feeling tired or low, than about memory in general, and a routine check-up can be a gentler reason to see the GP. If the first conversation goes badly, leave it for a week or two and try again, or ask somebody they trust to raise it instead.
What you can and cannot do if they still say noSection titled What%20you%20can%20and%20cannot%20do%20if%20they%20still%20say%20no
An adult is presumed to be able to make their own decisions unless it is shown that they cannot. That is the first principle of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and the NHS says consent is needed before any test or examination. So if your parent has capacity and does not want to be assessed, you cannot book the assessment for them or make them go.
What you can do is tell the GP what you have seen. Write a short letter or ring the surgery, set out the changes, when they started and a few examples, and ask for it to be added to your parent's notes. The Alzheimer's Society explains that patient confidentiality means a GP cannot give out information about a patient, but can receive it. So the GP may listen and take your concerns into account at the next appointment, but will not usually discuss your parent with you unless your parent agrees. You can also ask the surgery whether a home visit or a routine health check might be possible, which some people find less daunting than an appointment about memory.
The GP and the memory clinic
What the GP does, and what happens at the memory clinic
The two appointments have different jobs. The GP's job is to look for other causes and decide whether a referral is needed. The memory service's job is to find out whether it is dementia and, if it is, which type.
| At the GP | At the memory service | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you see | Your relative's GP. | A specialist team, usually led by an old age psychiatrist, a geriatrician or a neurologist. |
| The conversation | Questions about the symptoms and how they affect daily life, such as cooking, shopping, personal care and paying bills. | A more detailed history of how things have changed, from your relative and from somebody who knows them well. |
| Tests | A physical check, and blood and urine tests. The NHS says the blood tests look at liver and kidney function, thyroid function, diabetes, and vitamin B12 and folate levels. | Further, more detailed memory and thinking tests, and a neurological examination. |
| Memory test | A short set of questions and simple tasks, using a validated brief test chosen by the GP. | More detailed tests of memory, concentration, language and awareness of time and place. |
| Brain scan | Not usually. | Often a CT or MRI scan. NICE says a scan should be offered to rule out other causes and help identify the type, unless the diagnosis is already clear. |
| What comes out of it | Treatment for another cause, or a referral to the memory service if dementia is still suspected. | A diagnosis, including the type where possible, or further tests if it is still unclear. |
Who you see
- At the GP
- Your relative's GP.
- At the memory service
- A specialist team, usually led by an old age psychiatrist, a geriatrician or a neurologist.
The conversation
- At the GP
- Questions about the symptoms and how they affect daily life, such as cooking, shopping, personal care and paying bills.
- At the memory service
- A more detailed history of how things have changed, from your relative and from somebody who knows them well.
Tests
- At the GP
- A physical check, and blood and urine tests. The NHS says the blood tests look at liver and kidney function, thyroid function, diabetes, and vitamin B12 and folate levels.
- At the memory service
- Further, more detailed memory and thinking tests, and a neurological examination.
Memory test
- At the GP
- A short set of questions and simple tasks, using a validated brief test chosen by the GP.
- At the memory service
- More detailed tests of memory, concentration, language and awareness of time and place.
Brain scan
- At the GP
- Not usually.
- At the memory service
- Often a CT or MRI scan. NICE says a scan should be offered to rule out other causes and help identify the type, unless the diagnosis is already clear.
What comes out of it
- At the GP
- Treatment for another cause, or a referral to the memory service if dementia is still suspected.
- At the memory service
- A diagnosis, including the type where possible, or further tests if it is still unclear.
Drawn from the NHS pages on diagnosing dementia and the tests used, and NICE guideline NG97, recommendations 1.2.1 to 1.2.13. Services are organised differently in different areas.
Go with your relative to both appointments if they want you there. The NHS suggests bringing somebody who can describe the changes and help remember what was said, and NICE asks doctors to take a history from someone who knows the person well where possible.
At the GP, the memory test takes the form of a few questions and small tasks, such as remembering an address or drawing a clock. It is a first look rather than a verdict, and a person who is anxious or unwell on the day may do worse than usual. If the GP finds no other cause and dementia is still suspected, NICE says they should refer your relative to a specialist diagnostic service, such as a memory clinic or a community old age psychiatry service.
At the memory service, the assessment is longer and goes into more detail. A scan can show changes in the brain that help point to the type of dementia, and it can also rule out other things, such as a stroke or a tumour. The type shapes the care that follows: caring for someone with frontotemporal dementia, for example, is different from caring for someone with Alzheimer's. If the result is still unclear, the specialist may suggest further tests. For people under 65 the diagnosis can take longer, and young-onset dementia covers that separately.
Questions to ask
When the diagnosis is given, and the questions to ask
NICE says that at diagnosis the person and their family should be offered information, both spoken and written, about the type of dementia, the changes to expect, who will be involved in their care and how to contact them. The questions below help make sure you leave with all of it.
Questions to take to the appointment
0 of 8 ticked
About the diagnosis
About treatment
About who to contact
About support
Your relative will also be asked, if nobody has asked before, whether they agree to services sharing information and with whom. NICE says their answer should be recorded in their notes. If you are going to be the person ringing the surgery and speaking to the memory service, this is the moment to make sure your name is on that record. It saves difficult phone calls later.
Hearing the diagnosis can be a shock even when you expected it, and it can also bring some relief at having an explanation. There is no right way to take it, and you do not have to decide anything on the day. The information you are given, and your list of questions, can be read again at home when you are both ready.
The first weeks after
What to sort out in the first weeks after a diagnosis
None of these has to be done on the first day, and some may not apply to your family. They are in the order that tends to matter most, because the first two are the ones that should not wait.
- 1
If they drive, tell the DVLA and the car insurer
A legal dutyGOV.UK says you must tell the DVLA if you have dementia, and a person can be fined up to £1,000 for not reporting a condition that affects their driving. NICE adds the car insurer. The NHS says a diagnosis does not necessarily mean they have to stop straight away. Dementia and driving explains what happens next. - 2
A lasting power of attorney, while they can still make one
Timing mattersGOV.UK says a person must have mental capacity when they make a lasting power of attorney. Dementia usually affects that over time, which is why this is worth doing early. Lasting power of attorney and dementia covers the two types and how to register them. - 3
Attendance Allowance or PIP
BenefitsAttendance Allowance is for people over State Pension age who need help or supervision, and who have needed that help for at least six months. It is based on need rather than on the diagnosis itself. PIP is the benefit for people under State Pension age. See claiming Attendance Allowance or PIP and care at home. - 4
A carer's assessment for you
Not means-testedThe Care Act 2014 requires the council to assess a carer who may need support, whatever the level of that need and whatever their finances. What a carer's assessment involves explains how to ask. - 5
The dementia charities
Support by phoneDementia UK runs the Admiral Nurse service and the Alzheimer's Society offers information and support to families. Admiral Nurses and free dementia support explains who does what and how to reach them.
Beyond those five, NICE says people with dementia should be offered early chances to plan ahead, including an advance statement about their wishes for future care. It helps to talk about this while your relative can say what matters to them, rather than leaving the family to guess later. The seven stages of dementia gives a sense of how needs tend to build, without promising any particular timetable.
When some help at home would make a differenceSection titled When%20some%20help%20at%20home%20would%20make%20a%20difference
A diagnosis is also the point at which some families start to think about help at home, perhaps a few hours a week so that the person keeps their routine and the family gets a break. If that is where you are, you can search for carers near you and compare their rates. Carers on PrimeCarers charge £18 to £25 an hour with our fee included. Read what each one says about their dementia experience, which is their own account for you to check with them when you talk. The dementia care guide covers the different kinds of help and how to choose.
Questions
Questions families ask about getting a diagnosis
You can ring or write to the GP with your concerns, and the GP can take them into account. But an adult is presumed to be able to make their own decisions, and the NHS says consent is needed before any test or examination. If your mum has capacity and does not want an assessment, the GP cannot carry one out, so it is better to talk to her first and offer to go with her.
Not without his agreement. The Alzheimer's Society explains that confidentiality stops a GP giving out information about a patient, although the GP can receive information from you. If your dad is happy for you to be involved, ask for that to be recorded in his notes. NICE says people should be asked at diagnosis who services may share information with.
It depends on the area, the memory service and whether further tests are needed. We cannot give a typical wait, and a figure from another area would not tell you much about yours. Ask the GP when the referral is made, and ask the memory service when they first contact you.
A normal score does not rule dementia out. NICE guideline NG97 tells doctors not to rule out dementia solely because somebody scores normally on a cognitive test. If the changes you have noticed are carrying on, tell the GP and ask whether a referral or a review later on would be sensible.
Yes, for several reasons. The GP may find another cause that can be treated. If it is dementia, knowing the type matters for which medicines help and which to avoid, and it opens the door to a named contact, support for the family, benefits and planning ahead while your relative can still take part. The different types of dementia explains why the type matters.
Not necessarily. The NHS says a diagnosis does not always mean a person must stop driving immediately, but they are legally required to tell the DVLA, and NICE says they should tell their car insurer too. The DVLA then decides whether they can keep their licence. Dementia and driving covers the process.