Emotional impact of Dementia: supporting peers and friends - Wellbeing for Life

Dementia affects relationships because it creates uncertainty, produces symptoms that can be upsetting for everyone, and means that changes are happening now - and are going to continue to happen in the future - that will affect the person and everyone they are close to.

Before a diagnosis of dementia is made it is important for you to consider the implications of a diagnosis of dementia for a person before a diagnosis is made. By planning in this way and talking to the person undergoing the dementia assessment you can encourage them to think about their needs and wishes.

Key questions include whether the person wants to know their diagnosis when it is made, and if they want anyone else to be told.

Contents of this mini book:

• Dementia affects everyone
• Friendship and Dementia: the statistics
• When Dementia is suspected
• If the person wants other people to know, who are those people and how should they be informed?
• After a diagnosis of Dementia
• Acceptance of a diagnosis
• Coping with the fears associated with Dementia
• Explaining Dementia
• Dealing with denial
• Day-to-day life
• How peers and friends can help the person with Dementia
• As a person’s Dementia progresses…
• Maintaining friendships throughout a person’s Dementia
• Interacting with a person with advanced Dementia
• When peers and friends are struggling to cope
• Qualities staff need to show