What happens at a memory clinic?
About dementia diagnosis
A memory clinic is usually part of a hospital. The staff are specialists in finding out what is causing memory problems and diagnosing dementia.
They will perform some in-depth tests and advise you about next steps, including treatments.
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What can I do whilst I wait for a memory clinic appointment?
Some people have to wait a long time for a memory clinic appointment. This depends on where you live in the country.
Here are some tips for looking after yourself in the meantime.
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1. Keep a diary
Write down any memory problems or changes in thinking you notice. This can help your doctor understand your situation better.
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2. Look after your brain
You can find lots of helpful tips for looking after your brain health on our website.
You can also take our Think Brain Health Check-in to find out what you’re doing well, and where you could improve.
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3. Get your hearing and vision checked
Hearing and vision loss often goes unaddressed, particularly in people with memory and thinking problems.
If left untreated, these conditions can make memory and thinking problems get worse more quickly.
Going to the optician, and also getting your hearing checked are both very important.
If you are given hearing aids or glasses, it’s important to wear them. If you are recommended surgery, for example for cataracts, this can also help.
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4. Stay organised
Using calendars, lists and reminders can help you to manage daily tasks, remember appointments, and keep track of your weeks.
Sticky notes can also help, like putting a note near your door to check you have your keys before leaving your house.
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5. Prepare questions
Write down any questions or concerns you have for the memory clinic staff.
Your memory clinic appointment
You might be offered the choice between an initial phone appointment and an in-person appointment. You may have to wait longer for an in-person appointment.
You may have an appointment with one of several specialists, you may also have more than one appointment at the clinic.
The specialists you see may depend on your age, location and symptoms. Different memory clinics may offer different levels of service.
If you have a choice, it’s worth asking which clinic has a shorter waiting time and access to tests like brain scans or spinal fluid tests.
These include doctors who specialise in:
- mental health and dementia (a psychiatrist or old age psychiatrist, depending on your age)
- treating older people (a geriatrician)
- the brain and nervous system (a neurologist).
You may also talk to a mental health nurse, psychologist or occupational therapist during your assessment.
A typical memory clinic appointment takes around one and a half hours (90 minutes), but it may be longer.
Memory clinics carry out more thorough tests to figure out whether you have dementia, and which type you may have.
It’s likely you’ll be asked if you can bring someone you trust and who knows you well to a memory clinic appointment. They will also be asked questions about your symptoms and can help to support you during your visit.
Below you can hear about from Deborah about her mum's memory clinic appointment.
No two people experience dementia or getting a diagnosis the same. If you are worried about memory and thinking problems, talk to your doctor.
In-depth medical history check
The specialist doctor or nurse will ask you questions about your overall health. This is important, as things may have changed since your GP appointment.
They may ask about:
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Your overall health. Whether you've been diagnosed with any past or current health conditions.
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Physical health, including falls, vision and hearing.
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Your lifestyle. This may include your diet, exercise habits, and how much sleep you get.
They may also ask about how much alcohol you drink and whether you smoke.
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Your mood and mental health. Conditions like depression and anxiety can affect our memory and thinking.
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Medications. Which medications you are taking, including:
- prescriptions
- over-the-counter medications
- supplements.
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Hospital stays. Whether you have had to stay in hospital recently.
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Surgeries. Whether you've had any surgeries recently and what they were for.
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Family history. Whether you have a family history of memory problems, dementia, or other conditions that cause similar symptoms.
Questions about your symptoms
The doctor will also ask you about how your symptoms are affecting your day-to-day life. If you’ve kept a diary of your symptoms, it can help you to answer these questions.
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Memory and thinking.
The doctor will ask about any memory problems, confusion, or changes in behaviour and thinking you have noticed.
For example, if there are tasks you used to find easy but now find confusing.
They will also ask how often you experience these.
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How you are managing day-to-day life.
Questions about how your symptoms affect your daily tasks. These include cooking, driving and managing your money.
Memory and thinking tests
A doctor or specialist nurse will ask you to complete in-depth memory and thinking tests.
These tests will give your doctor a clearer idea of how your memory and thinking are affecting different aspects of your life.
They usually take longer than the tests used by GPs, which can detect general problems with memory.
Brain scans
You may be offered a brain scan by your memory clinic. The most common types of brain scan used in dementia diagnosis are CT scans and MRI scans.
Smaller clinics might just have CT scanners, whereas larger clinics often have both MRI and CT scans.
Lumbar puncture
Under very specific circumstances, you may be offered a lumbar puncture to look for signs of diseases like Alzheimer’s. It is sometimes called a ‘spinal tap’.
A lumbar puncture involves using a needle to take a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from your lower back. This is used to look for signs or 'biomarkers' of the diseases that cause dementia.
The process takes around 30 minutes in total. After your lumbar puncture, you will typically lie down and rest at the hospital for an hour or so. During this time, staff will check that you’re feeling okay.
Clinics that offer lumbar punctures to help diagnose Alzheimer’s and other diseases perform them regularly. So, staff are experienced and specially trained.
In these clinics, lumbar punctures are not performed as an emergency procedure.
This means that they are performed in a calm and safe environment.
There is no risk of damaging the spinal cord during a lumbar puncture. The spinal cord ends about five inches above where the doctor or nurse will inject the needle, so it will not be touched. Lumbar punctures cannot cause paralysis.
The memory clinic doctors and nurses will review the results of all the different tests you have. This is to determine whether you have dementia, and what type you have. For example, Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.
If your test results suggest you have dementia, your doctor will talk to you about next steps, treatment options and support.
Why is diagnosing what type of dementia someone has important?
Diagnosing which type of dementia someone has is also important. Dementia is not a disease itself, but a word that describes the symptoms someone experiences when they have a disease like Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.
Where possible, someone should be told which type of dementia they have. Having an accurate diagnosis means that someone can:
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Access the right type of treatments and support for their condition.
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Ask their GP and nurse the right questions about their health.
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Find the right information about their condition and be better prepared for the next steps.
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Understand how symptoms affect them and how they might progress.
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Be matched with the right type of study if they wish to take part in research.
During diagnosis, where possible, someone should be told which type of dementia they have.
However even after specialised tests, it can be difficult for a doctor to be sure of the type of dementia a person has.
This is because there are no 100% accurate tests to identify all the different types of dementia just yet.
This means that some people may be misdiagnosed, or told they have one type when they have another. Or it can mean that someone is just given a general diagnosis of dementia, rather than a type, like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies.
If you have questions or concerns about your diagnosis, you can speak to the doctors at the memory clinic about it, or to your GP.
Research is the only way we'll find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat dementia and scientists need your help.(opens in new tab)
Without people volunteering to take part in research, finding a cure would be impossible. Find out more.
Getting a dementia diagnosis
Find out more about symptoms of dementia and how to get a diagnosis through your GP.
Order health information
Alzheimer’s Research UK has a wide range of information about dementia. Order booklets or download them from our online form.
This information was updated in August 2025 and is due to be reviewed in August 2027. It was written by Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team with input from lay and expert reviewers. Please get in touch if you’d like a version with references or in a different format.
This information is produced with support from The Perfume Shop who had no input into the content.
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