Memory and Later Life Services

This leaflet will provide you with information that you will find useful. If you are not sure about anything in this leaflet, please ask a member of staff.

Memory and Later Life Services are for anyone who has a new or suspected diagnosis of Dementia alongside mental health conditions relating to the ageing process.

The service aims to:
• Identify the cause of your memory loss and or mental health difficulties if necessary, discuss any possible treatments with you and your family, friend or carer which may help.

• To support you and your family/carer/friend by helping you to understand your memory or mental health difficulties and to manage them in a practical way.

Usually your appointment will take place in one of our clinics. In some circumstances we will arrange to see you in your own home.

Memory and Later life Services are a service for anyone who has new or suspected
memory problems, including those with a diagnosis of dementia, and people in later life who have anxiety, depression or psychosis made more complex by physical health needs.

Your GP, Social worker or other health professional is able to refer to the Memory and Later life Service. We will arrange to meet with you and assess your needs and establish what appropriate support is available.

At your first appointment we will discuss how your memory and or other symptoms are affecting you day to day and ask you for information about your family history.

We will also ask you to take part in a memory test to help highlight which areas of your memory are affected.

There will also be some time for you to ask us questions about the things that are bothering you.

The first appointment usually lasts about one hour. You are welcome to bring a friend, relative or carer along to this appointment and to any future appointments.

It is important for you to bring:
• Your reading glasses
• Your hearing aids, if these are used
• A list of medications you take

The assessment will help us gather as much information as possible in order that we can give you accurate feedback.

You may wish to write down any reminders you may want to ask about at your appointment:

Following your first appointment you may be given an appointment to go for a head scan or further tests from your GP (family doctor). This will give helpful information to work out the reason for your memory problem.

We may also visit you at home to discuss further details about how your memory has been affecting your quality of life and also suggest practical ways to help.

Once all assessments are completed and we have all the results we will arrange for you to see your named nurse again or a specialist doctor. They will discuss the results of the assessments with you and where appropriate will offer diagnosis. They will also advise on any treatments available and answer any questions you may have.

We will arrange to meet with you again, this is an opportunity to talk about anything that may be worrying you and to see how much the advice and/or medication you were given has helped you.
At this visit we can provide information on:
• The diagnosis and the course and prognosis of the condition.
• What happens next including details of any follow up appointment.
• Treatments and interventions that may help, carer support and other ways to help such as cognitive stimulation therapy.

It is important that we also consider the impact memory problems may be having on your carer or family. To help this, a short assessment will be completed with your carer to enable support to be offered if helpful.

Staff can arrange an interpreter if you need one.

• Bus timetable information – Telephone: 0871 200 22 33 (7am – 8pm)
• Bus time tables and public transport maps –
• Public transport maps –https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/roads-transport/public-transport-road-safety/transport/publictransport/busserv/timetables/clr/transportmaps.asp/

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:
• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.cntw.nhs.uk (click on the ‘Contact Us’ tab)
• telephone the Complaints Department 0191 245 6672
• email [email protected] Please note that information sent to the Trust via email is sent at your own risk
• We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.
You can provide feedback in the following ways:
– the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.cntw.nhs.uk/poy
– complete a Points of You survey, available from staff.

• Alzheimer’s Society – can provide information, support and signposting for people with a diagnosis of dementia and their carer’s.
For more details contact: 01228 819299
• Age UK – this service works with volunteers to promote the wellbeing of older people and to help make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
For more details contact: 01228 536 673
• Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Tel: 0191 246 6800
• Patient and Carer Involvement Team Tel: 01670 501 816
• Patient Advice and Liaison : 0800 032 0202
• Carers Support – provides information and support on all aspects of caring including benefits advice and carers assessments, which help identify requirements and make the caring role as manageable as possible
– Carlise Carers – Tel: 01228 542156
– Eden Carers – Tel: 01228 542 156
– West Cumbria Carers – Tel: 01900 821 976
• Carers resources Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust – www.cntw.nhs.uk/carers

Your named nurse is: ____________________________________________

Memory Matters in Later Life Service: Allerdale
Unit 1, Lilly Hall Business Centre
Jubilee Road
Workington
CA14 4HA
Tel: 01900 705 850
Memory Matters in Later Life Service: Carlisle
Geltwood House
Carleton Clinic
Carlisle
CA1 3SX
Tel: 01228 602 100
Memory Matters in Later Life Service: Copeland
Unit 1, Lilly Hall Business Centre
Jubilee Road
Workington
CA14 4HA
Tel: 01946 68560
Memory Matters in Later Life Service: Eden
Beacon Unit
Penrith Hospital
Bridge Lane
Penrith
CA11 8HX
Tel: 01768 245 530

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.
This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre
Tel: 0191 246 7288
Published by the Patient Information Centre
2022 Copyright, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref, PIC/870/0222 February 2022 V1
www.cntw.nhs.uk Tel: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2025