Receiving the diagnosis of dementia usually doesn’t come as a total shock as people generally see signs of a problem well before the official diagnosis is given. But, once it becomes “official” it brings with it a multitude of questions, not only for the person with dementia, but for their loved ones as well. Over our next two posts we are going to address some of those initial questions, and/or concerns that come along with receiving a dementia diagnosis.
A ton of emotions flood over us when we hear the diagnosis of dementia and sometimes we don’t know where to turn or what to do. Fortunately, in today’s world we understand dementia better than ever and with the internet we now have a plethora of information about dementia available at our fingertips. With that being said, you should not always believe everything you read on the internet. There are hundreds of sites offering so called “cures”, or a means of reversing the effects of dementia. There are also many more helpful sites to help you on this journey. Sites such as the Alzheimers Association or AARP can be great resources. Learning what you can about dementia will be one of the best things you can do to support the person that has received the diagnosis. One of the other things you could check into are support groups available where you can meet with others who are going through the same journey and learning from them and what they have experienced. The Apostolic Christian Home of Eureka offers a Dementia Education and Support Group meeting the 4th Thursday of each month and held at the Eureka Public Library Community Room. The meetings start at 6:30 pm and we wrap up by 8:00. Each month we have a specific topic related to dementia, but there is always time for questions. This is a great opportunity to know you are not alone.
We also sometimes want to protect the individual by not telling others of the diagnosis, especially in the early stages when it may not be quite as apparent. While you certainly do not need to make it public knowledge letting everyone know. It is important to let those closest to you know, including other family members. Their support and understanding will become increasingly more important to you as the dementia progresses.
One of the important things to remember with dementia is that if you know one person with dementia, you know one person with dementia. What I mean by that is, every person with dementia is unique. While there are some similarities, no two people experience it the exact same way. Don’t make assumptions based on someone you know that had dementia and how they went through the disease, or the problems and/or behaviors they had. Your experience will most likely be different.
In our next post we will look at some of things to do once a dementia diagnosis is given that will help prepare you for the future.
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