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Memory Service

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About us

Memory Service

The Memory Service is a non-acute specialist diagnostic, treatment and support service for tanagata whaiora experiencing complex and unexplained progressive changes in their cognition such as memory. The team includes Psychogeriatricians, Clinical psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Community Mental Health Nurse and Social Worker.

We offer?

  • Expert clinical diagnosis
  • A thorough and sensitive assessment
  • Information on appropriate treatment options
  • Post diagnosis education, support and future planning advice
  • Links for clients or their whaanau to other service providers and community supports

Our approach is flexible and tailored to suit the needs of the tangata whaiora and their situation. We strive to be responsive to the needs of tangata whaiora from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, using interpreters where appropriate. Individuals who identify as Maori will be offered a referral to Te Puna Oranga for cultural support/assessment.

Unfortunately we are usually unable to accept referrals for non-complex presentations or where there is an already established diagnosis e.g. Dementia. However in these cases we can offer comprehensive specialist advice on how the tangata whaiora can be assessed and managed within Primary Care, for example.by using the Regional Dementia Pathway. Some referrals may be forwarded to other services such as Neurology, Older Persons and Rehabilitation Service or the Intellectual Disability Dual Diagnosis service, if it is felt these services are better suited to meet the tangata whaora’s needs.

We welcome enquiries regarding potential referrals or service related questions. If you are interested the team is available to present on our service at your workplace.

Key personnel

Dr Colin Patrick
Clinical Director

Dr Elizabeth Fussell
Consultant Psychogeriatrician

Linda Scott-Dickens
Community Mental Health Nurse

Occupational Therapists

  • Verity Brown
  • Jan Foster

Psychologist

  • Christina Russo

Social Workers

  • Kerri Challis

All referrals are triaged by the Memory Service team on a weekly basis.

A client needs to agree to participate with the service.

On acceptance of a referral:

  • a referral maybe made for a CT brain scan
  • a member of the team will arrange with the client and/or whānau an appointment for an initial assessment at home

Following this further assessments maybe indicated such as neuropsychological assessment, social work assessment or occupational assessment.

Finally a clinic appointment will be scheduled with a consultant psychiatrist to provide an outcome and an agreed plan with the patient and family assessments.

Post clinic interventions may involve:

  • Supporting clients and their family/whanau to make sense of their diagnosis
  • Prescribing and monitoring medications
  • Further assessments
  • Psychological interventions
  • Psychosocial and functional support
  • Community referrals
  • Support to access services
  • Driving assessments

Our team is unable to offer crisis support or long-term support for significant mental health issues.

If your referral is declined you will receive a letter outlining why. Depending on the nature of the referral the team may offer recommendations or forward the referral to a more appropriate service.

Location

214 Pembroke Street, Hamilton
Level B1, Older Persons and Rehabilitation Building, Waikato Hospital

Contact

Phone: 07 839 8603
Fax: 07 8398 737

Guidelines

It is expected that primary health care practitioners will have used the Map of Medicine Midland Regional Dementia Pathway prior to referring someone  to the Memory Service.

If you are not a primary health service we would recommend that you liaise directly with the tangata whaiora’s GP before pursuing a referral to our service. This is to clarify that a tangata whaiora does not have a pre-existing diagnosis of dementia.

Entry criteria

Tangata whaiora with a primary complaint of objective/observed non-rapid progressive cognitive impairment that is unexplained by a pre-existing medical, surgical or psychiatric condition and with a complexity that requires specialist assessment.

AND/OR

  • history of head injury now presenting with progressive cognitive impairment
  • culture and/or language is a barrier to assessment by Primary Care.
  • major psychiatric disorder. (An assessment by Adult Mental Health Services may be requested prior to acceptance of the referral).
  • major personality change • atypical cognitive decline
  • strong family history of neurodegenerative disorder

Exclusion criteria

1. Tangata whaiora with a confirmed intellectual disability: Refer to the Intellectual Disability Dual Disorder Service (IDDDS).

2. Tangata whaiora currently abusing alcohol or drugs without commitment to change.

3. A referral to Neurology may be more appropriate for

  • Younger people

and/or

  • Where there are new or unexplained neurological symptoms e.g. abnormal gait and/or movement disorder.

Notes

  1. Tangata whaiora need to be able to participate in the assessment.
  2. ‘Cognitive impairment’ refers to deficits in at least one of the following: memory, language, new learning, praxis, visuospatial skills and/or executive function e.g. judgement/decision making.
  3. ‘Objective cognitive impairment’ must be demonstrated by using one of the standard cognitive assessment tools listed in the Midland Regional Dementia Pathway. The Memory Service suggests using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. 

  4. ‘Observed cognitive impairment’ refers to an informant history of cognitive impairment e.g. from family members.