In the early stages of dementia, a person’s symptoms are often relatively mild and not always easy to notice. Common early-stage symptoms include problems with memory, speed of thought, language or perception.
The issues faced by someone with young-onset dementia will be very different to those experienced by someone older. This page includes information on talking to children about a diagnosis, driving and any benefit entitlements.
Getting an accurate diagnosis is important but can take longer for a younger person. Read more about being referred to a specialist and genetic testing.
There is currently no cure for DLB. The person’s care and treatment should support them to live as well as possible. This should include drug and non-drug treatments.
There will be important decisions to make as the person nears the end of life, including whether they should be resuscitated if they have a heart attack, and any religious practices they want observed. Advance care planning can help to ensure that a person's wishes are known and respected.
There are many ways to communicate with a person at the end of their life. There are also steps you can take to support a person with any pain, infections, eating and drinking problems, and delirium.
The causes of young-onset dementia, also known as early-onset dementia, are different from those in older people. The young-onset of some of the most common types of dementia are described on this page.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) may account for up to 20% of all recorded dementia, but it is often misdiagnosed. Read more about getting the right diagnosis for DLB, and what the process might be like.
A person with dementia who is in supported living can still be deprived of their liberty. A deprivation of liberty will still need to be authorised but the process is slightly different to the one for care homes and hospitals.
Dementia Support Line