The Early Stages: Making a Plan

Being told that your loved one has dementia is life-changing, and you shouldn’t overlook the emotional distress that comes with this diagnosis. Even before you start defining a concrete plan, the first hurdle to deal with is coming to terms with the diagnosis. This takes time and patience. It’s important to take this time, even though the sense of urgency may tempt you to rush forward. Think through your emotional needs before addressing the practical ones.

Once your mindset is ready, that’s the time to put together a plan. It isn’t easy to face the challenges ahead, but it’s better to have a plan early rather than late. Keep in mind that dementia doesn’t always affect everyone in the same way. So it is important that you come up with a plan that addresses the specific needs of your situation.

When making your plan, you should start by asking some of these important questions:

• What type of care do we value?

• Do we pursue memory care?

• Do we need to relocate anyone so that our loved one is close to the care they need?

• How should we establish power of attorney for our loved one?

• What are the different family members’ responsibilities in the care of our loved one?

• What do we need to know about this disease to effectively care for our loved one?