Early diagnosis and access to treatment for dementia patients

This article provides an overview of measures to improve early diagnosis and early access to treatment among people with dementia. Although specialist nurse prescribers have an increasing role to play in prescribing and offering support to people with dementia, the article is aimed at all nurse prescribers, many of whom may be treating people with early signs of dementia but are unaware that they are doing so or do not know where to direct such patients (Stapleton, 2010). Akin to this, the article also looks at the rise of memory clinics in the UK, screening for dementia, and early signs and symptoms. It draws on National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2011) guidance, which updates the NICE (2006) guidelines.