Start with their primary care physician, who can run initial blood tests, review medications and refer onward. Prepare a written timeline of specific changes beforehand, because the family account is the single most valuable part of the assessment.
Start with their primary care physician, who can run initial blood tests, review medications and refer onward. Prepare a written timeline of specific changes beforehand, because the family account is the single most valuable part of the assessment.
Primary care first, in almost all cases, and most insurance plans other than commercial ones require that referral anyway. Their doctor can order thyroid function, vitamin B12 and metabolic tests, review the medication list, screen for depression and sleep problems, and perform a brief cognitive screen. If concerns persist after that, referral to neurology follows for fuller assessment, which may include neuropsychological testing and imaging arranged externally.
Write a timeline before the appointment: what changed, roughly when, in what order, with concrete examples rather than general impressions. Specific instances are far more diagnostically useful than a summary, and the order in which abilities changed helps distinguish dementia types. Bring a complete medication list including over-the-counter items and supplements, since anticholinergic burden and polypharmacy are common and reversible contributors. Note alcohol intake honestly and any recent falls or head injuries.
Ask to be present, and if your parent is reluctant, note that you can provide information to the practice separately. Discuss authorisation to receive information while your parent can still give it, because doing so later is considerably harder. Expect more than one appointment, since investigations happen between visits. Ask at the end what the diagnosis rests on, what would change it, and when the next review should be, because a diagnosis with no follow-up interval leaves families managing alone.
Clinical Neurology Specialists has been physician-owned since 1998, when Leo Germin, M.D., FAANEM founded it. Five board-certified neurologists and four advanced practice providers see patients at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices, each with its own AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratory.
Clinical Neurology Specialists is an adult outpatient neurology practice for patients 18 and older. The practice performs no surgery and operates no imaging suite, infusion suite or interventional pain programme, and provides no emergency or inpatient care.
Physician-reviewed. Reviewed by the physicians of Clinical Neurology Specialists — board-certified neurologists, AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratories, physician-owned since 1998. Reviewed 1 August 2026. This article is general education for adults 18 and older and is not a substitute for a consultation.
Sources and further reading: National Institute on Aging; MedlinePlus: Alzheimer disease; MedlinePlus: memory.
Adults 18 and older, at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices. Call 702-804-1212 or request an appointment online.