Our services

Dementia, most simply, is a memory problem significant enough to affect your ability to carry out your usual tasks. 

While the most common cause is Alzheimer’s Disease, there are many other types. 

Various tests can help determine whether you or someone you care for might have dementia and what type it might be. 

If so, there are treatments that can improve function and slow down the disease.

We can provide expert diagnostic assessment of  memory problems and other cognitive symptoms  including diagnosing Dementia in the older person and the cause of dementia which enables an individualised management plan.

Our private dementia assessment  involves assessment with a specialist to discuss your symptoms and concerns followed by follow up appointment to discuss diagnosis and management strategies after assessments and investigations including:

• Comprehensive Cognitive Assessment to assess in detail the different domains of cognition (higher brain functions) including memory
• Blood test panel to assess for reversible causes of cognitive decline 
• MRI brain scan to visualise the structure of the brain – reported by a specialist neuroradiologist 

At the Memory and Brain Health Clinic at 25 Harley Street we also have multi professional team who can advise on strategies to optimise cognitive health and symptoms  in people diagnosed with  Mild Cognitive Impairment  and  help slow down progression of symptoms in people diagnosed with Dementia.

Our team includes  a sleep expert,cognitive nutritionist and clinical psychologist so  that an  integrated  management plan can be created.

Parkinson’s is a condition that is often not recognised, as many of the symptoms are attributed to ageing and therefore under diagnosed, many aspects  of this condition are very treatable with range of medications and treatment strategies for both the motor/movement symptoms and non-motor symptoms.

A clinical diagnosis  of Parkinson’s Disease Specialist requires a specialist in this field such as Geriatrician or Neurologist who has experience in diagnosing and managing such patients.
Brain imaging scans e.g. functional CT scans (DaT scan) which detect dopamine deficiency are helpful when there is diagnostic uncertainty.

The importance of early correct diagnosis cannot be overemphasised as the condition is very  treatable with the aim of treatment to correct the chemical imbalances that occur particularly dopamine deficiency but also for example acetylcholine deficiency and thereby  improve quality of life.

We provide expert clinical diagnosis, investigation and management of medical problems such as Respiratory Problems, Cardiac Problems, Infections, Black outs and dizziness and recent unexplained deterioration of mobility. 

We are  highly skilled  in providing holistic patient centred care to people in later life who often have multiple and complex medical problems with the aim of improving quality of life and maintaining functional independence. 

This approach  involves taking a pragmatic multisystem overview of  the older person who often will have multiple medical problems affecting different organ systems with identification of the health issues which are impacting on quality of life most and optimisation of management with review of medication and a multidisciplinary team based approach.

We have a multi-disciplinary team of highly skilled health professionals including neurophysiotherapist, specialist nurse and nutritionist.

Together, they have expertise in dealing with complex medical problems affecting older people.

Our  multidisciplinary team has a particular interest and expertise in health promotion in common conditions, especially where ill health can be prevented. 

We provide a personalised management plan based on our comprehensive holistic assessment.

Falls are a common and serious problem for people as they get older  with the  risk of falling increasing as one gets older and after a fall, the fear of falling is increased which has a negative impact on both physical and psychological well being. 

The consequences  of falling can include distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence and loss of independence. 

A thorough medical  assessment of falls risk is the first step to identify a person’s individual risk factors for falling and then a personalised treatment plan with a multidisciplinary team approach, that is unique to their  needs can be instituted. 

We assess various  factors that may affect bone health and  can arrange specialist  investigations and tests to assess bone health and diagnose osteoporosis and then advise on personalised management plans. 

Optimising bone health including diagnosing and treating osteoporosis is vital to reducing risk of fractures in later years and therefore important in healthy ageing and maintaining functional independence in later life. 

Sleep problems can affect quality of life and can contribute to falls, injuries, problems with memory and thinking and other health problems. Sleep problems such as trouble sleeping at night or feel sleepy during the day can be related to an underlying health issue or medication and after assessment with review of medication and investigations this can be identified and treated. 

Sleep problems can include :

• insomnia (difficulty falling asleep)
• Sleep fragmentation -(difficulty maintaining sleep)
• REM -Sleep Behaviour  Disorder 
• EDS -Excessive Daytime Somnelence 
• RLS-Rest Legs Syndrome 

Older adults often have multiple medical conditions. These may affect how medications work in the body. 

Studies have suggested that patient’s prescribed more than 5 medications have higher significantly higher risk of mortality 

Medications used to treat one condition may also make another condition worse.

For example, older adults with memory problems may have worsening symptoms caused by medicines used to treat their other conditions. 

Certain classes of drugs have been associated with with cognitive impairment and falls in older people.

Therefore a thorough medication review  can help identify any unnecessary medications and  medication interactions and can optimise symptoms and quality of life.

Health screening can provide you with reassurance about your health, but also identify any possible health issues at an early stage. 

Many medical conditions are eminently treatable, often through lifestyle modifications alone, when diagnosed early.

We have access to sophisticated and accurate diagnostic tests not widely available.

We can then advise you on the appropriate management plan whether that involves lifestyle changes, medication or surgery.

We can undertake tests to investigate and screen for medical problems frequently experienced in later life for example:

• Unexplained weight loss and reduced appetite 
• Anaemia 
• Cancer screening 
• Vascular Risk factor screening to reduce the risk of Coronary Heart Disease / Cerebrovascular Disease 
• Mid-life health check – a life check tool for the over-60s
• Memory Problems – assessed by cognitive tests and specialised brain imaging 

The World Health Organisation  defines healthy ageing as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.” 

Healthy ageing may be considered as the promotion of healthy living and the prevention and management of illness and disability associated with ageing.

As Geriatricians specialising in the medical care of older people we can assess and advise on Healthy Ageing and Lifestyle Medicine approach and  tailored  management plan to individual patient’s needs  which has the following benefits  :  

• Detects health risks due to your lifestyle choices
• Utilises innovative diagnostic technology to identify health conditions as early as possible
• Improved outcomes  from early diagnosis and treatment of many health issues 
• Promotes healthy ageing and maintains functional independence 

We fully assess your state of health and wellbeing to create a personalised lifestyle plans including advice on nutrition and other lifestyle changes to achieve your  goals, enabling you to  focus on leading a positive, dynamic and fulfilling life. 

Specialist Assessment of Mental Capacity for  various purposes  with timely provision of detailed robust reports :

• LPOAs for Health and Welfare and Managing Property and Financial Affairs 
• Testamentary Capacity for Changing Wills
• Court of Protection (COP3) Applications

We can arrange specialist assessment for older people unable to visit the clinic setting to perform a comprehensive holistic assessment in the home setting including performing blood test at home if needed and formulate a management plan with input of the multidisciplinary team when required.