Assessment, diagnosis, care and support for people with dementia and their carers

The guideline covers: the identification and diagnosis of dementia, investigative procedures, post-diagnostic support, non-pharmacological distressed behaviours, grief and dementia, the changing needs of people with dementia, and palliative approaches.

Who this guideline is for

This guideline will be of interest to:

• primary and secondary healthcare professionals
• social care professionals
• community, care home and care at home staff involved in the care of people at risk of, or diagnosed with, dementia
• people living with dementia and their families and carers

Recommendations

The guideline contains 67 evidence-based recommendations across six domains:

• Identification and diagnosis of dementia
• Further investigative procedures
• Postdiagnostic support
• Non-pharmacological approaches for distressed behaviours
• Grief and dementia
• Changing needs of people with dementia

Supporting material

A checklist for provision of information at diagnosis and after diagnosis has been developed by people with lived experience. This is included within the guideline and as a separate document.

A patient booklet, easy read version and an audio version of the patient booklet are also available for patients, family members and carers.

A quick reference guide, focusing on the recommendations, will be published in December.

How this guideline was developed

This guideline was developed using a standard methodology based on a systematic review of the evidence. Further details can be found in SIGN 50: A Guideline Developer’s Handbook.

Keeping up to date

This guideline was published in 2023 and will be considered for review in three years.

Current < 3 years