Older People's Community Services

About the service

Our Younger People with Dementia Service provides assessment, diagnosis, treatment and support for adults in Leeds who are generally aged up to 65 and have dementia or significant symptoms linked to dementia. We also support their families and carers.

We work in a range of settings depending on your needs. This may include your home, a care home, an outpatient clinic or a hospital appointment.

You may be referred to our service if you are of working age and have been experiencing some of the following symptoms for at least six months:

  • Memory problems
  • Changes in language or communication
  • Difficulties with attention or concentration
  • Changes in behaviour, personality or mood
  • Problems with coordination or balance

Our team includes specialists with expertise in diagnosing and supporting younger people with dementia. Because dementia in younger adults can present differently, we aim to provide tailored, age‑appropriate support for you and those important to you.

Our vision

We work with you, your family and your carers to help you understand your diagnosis, feel supported, and access the right care at the right time.

What we aim to do:

  • Investigate the cause of your memory or cognitive problems
  • Provide advice and support to you and your family or significant others
  • Offer treatment for dementia‑related symptoms and any associated difficulties
  • Refer you to other services that can meet your needs
  • Discharge you when our support is no longer required or when another service is more appropriate

What to expect from our service

Before we offer you an initial assessment, your GP will carry out some checks. These include a brief memory test and questions about your lifestyle and medical history. This information helps us understand your referral.

When your referral is received with all the necessary details, the Younger People with Dementia Team will review it and let you and your GP know the outcome. If you are offered an appointment, we aim to see you within eight weeks of receiving the referral.

During your assessment we will explore your symptoms, how they affect your daily life, and any concerns you or your family may have. After your assessment, we will offer a diagnosis and provide information and support at that point.

We can offer:

  • One‑to‑one or group support to help you develop coping strategies
  • Joint work with our Memory Assessment Service and Community Mental Health Teams
  • Access to community organisations that provide information, advice, groups and practical support

Your treatment and care may include:

  • Medication
  • Behaviour management approaches
  • Support with longer‑term care planning
  • Care coordination if needed

How we can help

We offer a range of interventions designed for younger people who have dementia. These include:

  • Detailed assessment and diagnosis
  • Psychological support and coping strategies
  • Signposting to community groups, voluntary sector organisations and specialist services
  • Support for families and carers
  • Medication review and treatment where appropriate
  • Coordinated long‑term care planning

Our approach aims to help you maintain independence, make informed decisions, and access the support you need as early as possible.

Referral information

This section is for health and care professionals referring into the Younger People with Dementia Service.

  • GP referrers in Leeds should use the Referral and Decision Support (RADS) tool.
  • SystmOne practices can access this by loading the “DART Referral Hub” template.
  • For Egton Medical Information Systems (EMIS) practices, a Microsoft Word version of the tool is available.

Please email completed referral forms to the referrals inbox.

Internal referrers should complete the Younger People with Dementia Service referral form and send it to the same address. To help you include everything we need in your referral, the example form may be a helpful guide.

For a referral to be accepted, at least one of the following must have been present for six months or more:

  • Memory problems
  • Language changes
  • Difficulties with attention or concentration
  • Behavioural, personality or mood changes
  • Problems with coordination or balance

Please ensure referral forms are completed in full. Incomplete referrals will be returned.

Referrals should be submitted from an nhs.net address or sent using an encrypted file.

All appropriate investigations should take place in Primary Care before referring.

Please see the Leeds Dementia Strategy for guidance.

If you would like to speak to a member of the team before referring or need advice, please contact us. The team aims to respond within 24 hours (Monday to Friday).

How to contact our team

Our service is based at:
St Mary’s Hospital
We are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding Bank Holidays).
Call: 0113 85 50547

If we can’t answer your call, please leave a message and a member of the team will get back to you.

Other advice and support

If a health professional has given you a specific phone number to call when you are concerned about your condition or that of a loved one, please continue to use that number.

We recommend the following places where you can find helpful and reliable information with links to further help and support.

  • MindWell website
  • The NHS UK website
  • For less urgent health needs, you should contact your GP or a local pharmacist in the usual way.
  • For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, always call 999.

Please note this is not comprehensive list of services but a few suggestions of how to get started finding help and information.

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Page last updated: 24th Mar 2026 3:08pm