The Cognitive, Dementia and Memory Service is a specialist dementia diagnostic clinic. We assess people with progressive changes to memory, thinking, communication and behaviour where dementia is the suspected cause.

Our multidisciplinary team members include geriatricians, neuropsychologists, speech pathologist, occupational therapist and registered nurses.

The service does not provide ongoing treatment but does provide:

  • Expert clinical diagnosis
  • Information on treatment options
  • Education about brain health
  • Help in planning for the future
  • Information on support for carers
  • General strategies to support memory or thinking difficulties
  • Referrals to other organisations for ongoing support
  • Recommendations for driving assessment may be made
  • Information on research opportunities
What is involved in a Memory Clinic Assessment?

Your assessment will involve several appointments:

  • Comprehensive initial assessment. This includes information gathering with the patient and support person and memory and thinking tests.
  • Additional expert assessments may also be offered (e.g. neuropsychology).
  • Further scans are sometimes required (e.g. MRI brain scan)
  • A medical assessment with one of our geriatricians
  • A final feedback meeting, including discussion about your care plan, assessment outcomes, diagnosis and recommendations.

Conditions seen

Barwon Health offers a cognitive, dementia and memory service for:

  • people experiencing progressive memory loss or changes to thinking (cognition), language skills, or behaviour where dementia is the suspected cause.
  • people who are medically stable and consent to a dementia diagnostic assessment.

Conditions not seen

Barwon Health Cognitive, Memory and Dementia Clinic does not accept referrals for:

  • Existing neurological, intellectual, or psychiatric conditions, unless condition is stable and there has been unexpected recent changes or deterioration in thinking and function.
  • Requests for decision making capacity.
  • Existing dementia diagnosis (unless seeking second opinion).
  • Significant alcohol intake (we recommend reduce/abstain from alcohol and then re-referral if thinking continues to decline).

How do I access this service

To be seen in this clinic you need to be referred by your GP, another specialist doctor or your Barwon Health doctor.

We are unable to see you in our clinics without a referral.

Wait time

All requests for specialist clinic appointments are scheduled according to the patient’s clinical need. Clinicians assess whether an appointment is urgent or routine, based on information provided in the referral.

Barwon Health aims to see all ‘urgent’ referrals within 30 days. Our wait times for patients who are categorised as ‘routine’ are more variable, depending on the demand for our services.

The projected wait time listed below are only estimated timeframes for routine (non-urgent) patients.

Speciality
Projected wait time

No Wait times to show

For Health Professionals

State-referral criteria may apply for conditions under this specialty requiring further assessment and management. Referring clinicians are encouraged to utilise Western Victoria Community HealthPathways for referral guidelines and requirements for all conditions.

The following information is required in order to process and accept a referral:

  • Reason for referral
  • Medical history
  • Medications
  • Recent CT or MRI brain scan
  • Pathology test results: FBE, ESR, thyroid, liver, electrolytes, creatinine, calcium, Vit B12, red cell folate, random BGL, MSU, syphilis serology (optional), HIV serology (optional)
  • Cognitive screening is recommended (please include results with your referral)

Complete the specialist clinics referral template and send via:

Referral templates for Barwon Health services are available for importing into Best Practice, Medical Director or ZedMed. Please see the Referral templates page for the most up-to-date forms.

If you do not use the above clinical software, please complete a referral letter on your practice/health service letterhead, ensuring all required referral information is included.

If you need to contact us regarding the templates, please contact the GP Liaison Unit on 03 4215 8845 or [email protected].

For patients who require reassessment, a new referral should be sent through. To facilitate earlier access, the new referral must contain the following information:

  • State the referral is an update for a current patient
  • Date of original referral
  • Reason for requesting a review of referral (e.g. deterioration in clinical condition, pathology)

The referrer will be notified of the outcome of the re-triage process.

GPs or referring doctors wishing to discuss the triage of their patient’s referral, or who require additional information, please ring the CDAMS team on 03 4215 5411.

Page last updated: September 9, 2025