Memory Clinic

The Sage Memory Clinic (SMeC) aims to assist in diagnosing adults and older adults (50 years +) who are experiencing

changes in their thinking, behaviour or memory. These changes may include confusion, slowness in thinking,

difficulty concentrating, language difficulties, forgetfulness or personality changes. SMeC provides:

Neuropsychological screening to support GPs and specialists with diagnosis
Education, support and information
Direction in planning for the future
Links for the patient or their family to other service providers or community supports

What will happen at the SMeC?
The SMeC is able to provide the option of tele-neuropsychology or face-to-face screening assessments. At the assessment, clients will meet the clinical psychologist who will briefly review their history, and their management of day-to-day activities before commencing an hour of cognitive testing, assessing attention, language, memory and executive functions. A brief report will be generated summarising the findings from the SMeC assessment and sent to the referrer. A feedback phone-call will be arranged to explain the findings of the assessment to the individual and their family.

Eligibility

Anyone over 50 years of age who is experiencing changes in their memory or thinking. Younger patients experiencing memory change and possible dementia are welcome to attend the SMeC with a detailed referral to support the suggestion of younger-onset dementia.
The SMeC will be available to the Blue Mountains community, in addition to the surrounding areas of the Nepean, Lithgow or Central West - with the option of tele-neuropsychology being offered to all clients, both local and remote.
People who already have a diagnosis of dementia or have had memory change for many years are unlikely to benefit from a SMeC assessment. In these instances consider a referral to the Blue Mountains/Nepean Aged Care Assessment Team Link here

Referrals

We accept referrals from any source for the SMeC, including GPs, neurologists, geriatricians, family, carers, case managers and self-referral.
The SMeC will take phone enquiries to discuss potential referrals if a referrer is unsure about the appropriateness of a referral.
To refer a patient, complete and email the referral to admin@sagepsych.com.au

Referrals should include:

relevant clinical history for the patient
list of current medications
the reason for referral
patient details including address, date of birth and contact phone numbers
your details and provider number

Referrals are generally made by the GP and need to include information about the referred individual's memory or thinking changes, current medications and relevant medical, psychiatric and social information. There are various tests that can be helpful to organise prior to the SMeC assessment such as Thyroid function, B12, B1, Folate, CT/MRI – Brain, EEG, but are not essential. However, please provide all relevant results in your referral.

Once a referral has been received, the SMeC Coordinator will phone the referred individual to discuss their needs and organise an appointment.

What occurs following the assessment?
◦ A brief report including recommendations for therapy or future planning will be prepared for the client and the referrer.
◦ A feedback session will be offered to assist their understanding of the findings and recommendations.

Fees for the SMeC
The cost for the cognitive screening service provided by the SMeC is $545 which includes the cognitive testing session, written report and a brief feedback session.

If you would like to learn more about the services offered, please call 0458 507 772, or contact us here.

Sage Memory Clinic