Trusted UK Information on Dementia

What you will find here

dementia.co.uk is the UK authority on dementia information. Whether you have just received a diagnosis, are supporting a partner, parent or friend, work in health or social care, or are simply trying to make sense of symptoms before a GP visit, the answer you need is on this site. Every clinical page is written and reviewed by The Dementia Service and aligned to ICD-11 and NICE guidance.

The site covers the full breadth of the subject: the types of dementia and their ICD-11 codes, the cognitive tests and brain scans used to reach a diagnosis, every licensed treatment, the lifestyle and prevention evidence, the symptoms and behaviours families ask about, and the practical, legal and financial steps that follow a diagnosis.

If you are not sure where to begin: people who have just been assessed usually start with Just Diagnosed. People who are exploring symptoms before an appointment typically start with Types of Dementia or Tests and investigations. Carers often go straight to Symptoms and Behaviours or For Carers and Family. Use the search and the site navigation to go anywhere from there.

The site is free to use and free of advertising on clinical pages. Most visitors arrive through search engines and never need private care; the answers to the questions that brought them here are above. For those who do want a private memory assessment, a structured letter or rapid onward investigation, the clinicians behind this site, at The Dementia Service, offer those services directly across the UK.

Most useful starting points

• Just Diagnosed: where to start
• Your diagnosis explained in plain English
• Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
• Cholinesterase inhibitors explained
• Donepezil (Aricept)
• The ACE-III explained
• MRI brain scan
• Vascular risk reduction
• Diet and nutrition
• Exercise

About the powered-by relationship

dementia.co.uk is the public information arm of The Dementia Service, the leading UK private memory clinic. Putting our clinical knowledge here, in plain English, free of charge, is part of how we believe a memory service should serve the country: most people will find what they need on these pages and never need to contact us. For those who do want private assessment, second opinion, or onward investigation, the same clinicians who write and review this site provide those services directly. Editorial decisions are made on clinical merit, in line with NICE and ICD-11; pages are not gated, sponsored or shaped by commercial considerations.

If you are considering private assessment

NHS memory clinics provide excellent assessment for most people, with waiting times that vary by region. If you would like to be seen sooner, would value a structured ICD-11 aligned letter for your GP, or want a second opinion on a diagnosis already given, The Dementia Service is the UK's leading private memory clinic. Assessments are delivered virtually, supported by partner providers for blood tests, ECG, MRI and onward investigation. The service works alongside the NHS rather than in place of it, and a copy of every report goes to your GP.

How we write and review

All clinical pages are drafted by a clinician at The Dementia Service, reviewed by a second clinician, and updated at least annually or when new guidance is issued. Each page carries a "last reviewed" and "next review" date. Plain-English summaries are tested for readability against the Hemingway and Flesch-Kincaid standards.

What we do not do

• We do not provide individual medical advice. If you are worried about your symptoms, please contact your GP or NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
• We do not host advertising on clinical pages.
• We do not collect identifiable health information without your explicit consent.