services
Who do I actually contact, and for what?
4 min read
Three routes cover most needs: the GP for anything medical or a change in the person, the local authority or equivalent for a care needs assessment and a carer’s assessment, and a dementia charity helpline for advice, navigation and emotional support. You can start all three yourself.
What to try
- 1GP: any new symptom, any sudden change, and referrals to the memory service.
- 2Social services, or whatever your country calls them: ask for an assessment of their care needs, and a separate one of your own needs as a carer. In the UK both are free and anyone over 18 can request one. What exists elsewhere differs — ask locally what carers can request.
- 3Dementia charity helpline: practical advice, what exists locally, and someone who understands.
- 4Ask specifically about respite, day services, and home care — they are rarely offered unprompted.
What to avoid
- Waiting for someone to notice you need help. Services are almost entirely request-driven.
- Assuming you will not qualify. Ask for the assessment and let them decide.
- Going through it alone because asking feels like admitting failure.
Being heard
- Write down three specific examples with dates before you call.
- Say plainly what you cannot do, rather than describing how you are coping.
- Ask for the assessment by name, and ask when it will happen.
- Get the name of who you spoke to and write it down.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Some key points have been checked against published national dementia guidance; others have not been.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.