Diagnosing dementia

Beth BrittonFreelance Campaigner | Consultant | Writer | Blogger

Me and my dadin 1980… …and 2011

My dad

My dad’s dementia began when I was about 12 years old

Over the following 10 years he would experience:

• Memory problems• Confusion• Lack of reasoning• Hallucinations & wild imaginations• Difficulties in completing tasks he had

previously found routine• Inability to look after himself, his

home or manage money• Going out and getting lost in his

neighbourhood• Hiding/misplacing/mixing up things

around the house

That got gradually worse…

How did my dad go 10 years without a diagnosis

Dad’s crisis point

Did my dad REALLY go 10 years without a diagnosis?

The clinician’s dilemma

Early v Timely

Why diagnosis must be person-centred

How do we improve rates of diagnosis

Diagnosis is not about statistics

Do I wish my dad had been diagnosed earlier?

What does good support look like?

BLOG: http://d4dementia.blogspot.co.uk/

TWITTER: @bethyb1886

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/D4Dementia

WEBSITE:http://www.bethbritton.com/

BLOG: http://d4dementia.blogspot.co.uk/

TWITTER: @bethyb1886

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/D4Dementia