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Assessment & Diagnosis

GP talking to senior woman

Early Signs & Symptoms

The early signs of dementia can be very subtle. Some common symptoms may include:

  • Progressive and frequent memory loss
  • Confusion
  • Personality change
  • Apathy and withdrawal
  • Loss of ability to perform everyday tasks.

Assessment & Diagnosis

If you think you may have the signs and symptoms of dementia:

Visit your local doctor and discuss your signs and symptoms. If you don’t have a regular doctor, you can find one by searching on Health Direct.

If/when referred by your doctor you may need to attend a specialist geriatrician or neurologist appointment.
Public Geriatrician Outpatient Clinics include:

  • Bulli Geriatric Outpatient Clinic: 4283 0626
  • Illawarra Geriatric Outpatients Clinic: 4255 1211
  • Shoalhaven Specialist Geriatrician Clinic: 4421 3111

If you are given a diagnosis, consider your needs for further information and support.
Everyone’s experience of dementia is different. There is a lot of variability in the type and severity of symptoms each person experiences and this may change from day to day.
Ongoing research is helping to improve outcomes for people diagnosed with dementia so they can continue to live full and productive lives.