Published on July 14, 2023
Receiving news that someone you love has been diagnosed with dementia is not easy to hear. Often families of those who have been diagnosed struggle to understand not only the disease and its impact on their loved ones but also how to help them. Here are a few “next steps” that can be taken after your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia.
- Learn about your loved one’s disease and what types of behaviors to anticipate: As you begin to gain a deeper understanding of the disease and how it will affect your loved one, the easier it will be to accept it and move forward in creating a care plan. Additionally, it is important to remember that dementia may trigger behaviors that are abnormal for your loved ones, such as aggression and confusion. Remember that much of what you are seeing is the disease and not the person.
- Find support: While this type of news may be difficult for your loved one to process, it is natural to also find it challenging to come to terms with what a dementia diagnosis means for you and for them. For this reason, it is important to find support and resources for you to lean on. These may include, support groups, therapy, or finding day programs for your loved one(s) to attend so you can take a break. Fortunately, there are options available in Ottawa, such as:
- The Champlain Dementia Network
- Carefor Respite Day Programs - day programs to offer connection for people living with dementia and break for their caregivers
- Carefor Richmond Care Home – 16-unit retirement home for women living with dementia
- Respite House – overnight respite care
Don’t forget to seek supports for yourself including support groups and engage your community to help you manage the day to day and large planning tasks of helping you care for your loved one.
- Don’t delay: Many caregivers take the responsibility of care solely on themselves or delay seeking supports. Acting quickly will not only help your loved one through their journey with dementia but also you and your family. Talk to your doctor about what’s available to you.
There is no set way to cope with and proceed after a dementia diagnosis, however these three points will help to guide you and your loved one during this journey.