How do you screen for dementia?

Take a history: Screening for any illness involves getting an accurate history and looking for particular symptoms. In the case of dementia, one is looking for memory problems, visual spatial problems, loss of abilities one used to have (like cooking, repairing things, paying bills etc), needing more help to do things, word finding problems and word comprehending problems etc.

Several screening: Tests can be used, but the bottom line is to identify (through a test or by history) a persistent decrease in memory or other cognitive function. Practically speaking, dementia usually presents as a loss of the ability to care for oneself. It's very sad.