A dementia diagnosis can be worrying for both the person who has been diagnosed and their family. Then, if you have had a recent dementia diagnosis within your family, here are some of the top steps that you can take to cope with it.
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Acknowledge Emotions
Your family might each be experiencing an entirely different spectrum of emotions, and it is important to realize that there is not simply one right way to feel about the diagnosis. Instead, it is important to acknowledge both your own emotions and the emotions of other people in your family, without criticizing or judging them. Once you have acknowledged these emotions, rather than repressing or ignoring them, you will then be more easily able to manage them and find help if they become overwhelming.
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Sort Out Responsibilities
At first, your family might be determined to care for the person with dementia themselves. If that is the case, you should calmly establish the responsibilities that each family member is happy to take on, and ensure that the care of your relative is split evenly between your family members. This will stop one person or branch of the family from feeling resentful that every aspect of the person’s care has been left to them or creating conflict. This will also ensure that there is not a moment where your family member is left without the care that they need.
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Look at Memory Care Facilities
You should also make sure that you think about what is going to happen in the future, and one of the best ways to do this is to research the best memory care facilities near you. There are many memory care senior living options that can help your loved one to get the aid and support that they need to continue to live well with assistance as their condition develops. By looking into these early, you will be able to relax in the knowledge that your loved one is in the best place for them when it comes to the point where you need a little bit of extra help in looking after them, or when your loved one cannot live on their own. Then, you should consider looking at the many different options for senior living near me.
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Involve Your Loved One
However, your loved one is still the same person that they were before the diagnosis, and, in the early stages of the illness, there might not be much difference in their behavior or actions. Then, you should make sure that they are involved in all major decisions so that their wishes are respected and so that you know that they are happy with the course that their life will take when they are unable to make decisions for themselves.
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Find Fun Activities to Enjoy
Life with dementia does not always have to be difficult, and there are many activities that you can still enjoy as a family. For instance, you might decide to set up activities that are both fun and which can stimulate the person with dementia and keep them as healthy as possible. You might decide to do some arts and crafts activities together or indulge in another hobby that they are passionate about.
