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`I was worried coming in because I don't really know why it was arranged'

The subjective experience of new patients and their primary caregivers attending a memory clinic

Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, Dublin, Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Matthew Gibb

St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Irene Bruce

St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Mary Headon

Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, Dublin, Ireland

Mary Drury

Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, Dublin, Ireland

Whilst in the Western world, memory clinics are fast becoming an evolving feature of the Geriatric Service landscape, little is known from a user's perspective about the expectations and experiences of people with memory problems referred to a memory clinic for the first time and about the attitudes and concerns of their family caregivers. This article reports quantitative and qualitative data emerging from a study of 28 patients with dementia and their family caregivers who attended a first appointment at a National Memory Clinic in Ireland. Data show that despite initially feeling unnerved by the clinic appointment, immediately afterwards the majority of patients felt content with the assessment process, were satisfied with the explanations and information received, felt the appointment had benefited them and by the end of the visit felt more positive than negative about their experience. A large number of patients who responded to a question about feedback, requested that this information be given to them in writing as well as orally. Some recommendations are made about small procedural changes which can be made to help to demystify the memory clinic experience.

Key Words: assessment • family caregiver • memory problems • person with dementia • service

Dementia, Vol. 7, No. 2, 175-189 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1471301208091157


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