What to Do After a Dementia Diagnosis in England: The First 30 Days

The First 30 Days Are When You Have the Most Options

A dementia diagnosis feels like the ground shifting. But the weeks immediately after diagnosis are when your parent still has the cognitive capacity to make legal and financial decisions — and when early action can save the family thousands of pounds and months of bureaucratic struggle later.

The items below are roughly ordered by urgency. Not all of them will apply to every family, but skipping the first three risks creating problems that become much harder (and more expensive) to fix once capacity declines.

Week 1: Legal Authority

Set up Lasting Powers of Attorney — both types. This is the single most important step. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA lets you manage your parent's money, pay their bills, and deal with their bank. A Health and Welfare LPA lets you make medical and care decisions if they lose the ability to decide for themselves.

Both LPAs must be signed while your parent has mental capacity. Early-stage dementia usually doesn't prevent this, but the window is unpredictable. Registration with the Office of the Public Guardian takes twelve to sixteen weeks and costs £92 per document (£184 total; halved to £92 if your parent's gross income is under £12,000).

If you wait and capacity is lost, the formal alternative is a Court of Protection deputyship — which carries at least £532 in application and assessment fees for one deputyship type (plus a £266 hearing fee if ordered), takes four to six months, and involves annual supervision charges of £320.

Notify the bank. Let your parent's bank know about the diagnosis and that an LPA application is in progress. Some banks will add a third-party mandate as an interim measure, allowing you to manage day-to-day transactions while the LPA is being registered.

Week 2: Financial Support

Claim Attendance Allowance. This non-means-tested benefit pays £76.70 or £114.60 per week (2026/27 rates) to anyone over state pension age who needs help with personal care or supervision. A person with dementia can qualify when those needs are present. The higher rate applies when help is needed both day and night — which includes night-time wandering, confusion, or needing the toilet.

Attendance Allowance is worth up to £5,959.20 per year. Ask the local authority how it is treated in any care-charge assessment. There's no reason not to claim.

Check pension and benefit entitlements. A diagnosis can trigger eligibility for Pension Credit (if not already claimed), Council Tax reduction, and exemption from prescription charges.

Week 2–3: Care Assessment

Request a care needs assessment from the local authority. Under the Care Act 2014, the council has a statutory duty to assess anyone who appears to need care and support — regardless of their financial situation. You don't need a referral; contact Adult Social Care directly.

The assessment determines what support your parent needs and whether the council will fund it. Even if your parent's capital is above the £23,250 self-funder threshold, the assessment is still worth requesting because it clarifies assessed needs and available care arrangements.

Request a carer's assessment for yourself. This is a separate assessment of your own needs as a carer. It can lead to respite care, direct payments for carer wellbeing, and access to support services. Many adult children don't realise this assessment exists or that they have a legal right to one.

Week 3–4: Safety and Support

Complete a Herbert Protocol form. This police-supported scheme creates a detailed profile of your parent — including past addresses, routine routes, medications, and a recent photograph — that accelerates the search if they go missing. Around 70% of people with dementia will go missing at least once.

Download the form from your local police constabulary's website, fill it in, keep printed copies by the front door and in your car, and save a digital copy on your phone.

Arrange a home safety review. Walk through the house with fresh eyes. Key risks for someone with dementia:

• Kitchen: hob guards, automatic shut-off kettles, removal of sharp knives from accessible drawers
• Bathroom: grab rails, non-slip mats, thermostat limiters on hot water
• Stairs: improved lighting, contrasting tape on edges, stair gates if needed
• Exits: door alarms or locks that prevent unsupervised leaving

Local authorities can fund minor adaptations (under £1,000) and refer for larger Disabled Facilities Grants.

Connect with post-diagnostic support. The memory clinic should have offered referral to a local Dementia Adviser (often through the Alzheimer's Society) and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST). If they didn't, ask. A Dementia Adviser acts as a single point of contact for navigating services — they can explain what's available locally and help coordinate support.

Beyond the First Month

The first 30 days establish the legal, financial, and safety foundations. After that, the focus shifts to longer-term care planning — understanding funding routes (local authority means-tested care vs. NHS Continuing Healthcare), exploring respite care options, and building the evidence base that will support funding applications down the line.

Our Dementia Care in England guide walks through every step from diagnosis onward — LPA checklists, Attendance Allowance form guidance, care assessment preparation, funding calculators, and template letters for challenging decisions.

See more England guides →