Getting diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease can be overwhelming for seniors. It often means that they need to make changes in their lives both now and in the future. It’s also difficult to know how to tell the other people in their lives. Family caregivers may already know, but what about other loved ones? This can be a decision that seniors agonize over, but Alzheimer’s care providers can offer support.
Get as Much Information about the Diagnosis as Possible
Before talking about Alzheimer’s disease with other people, it helps to have as much information as possible. Asking questions at the doctor’s office is a great place to start. Understanding how the disease progresses and what to expect gives seniors the tools they need to talk to the other people in their lives. Some seniors may want to wait a while to know how they’re going to proceed with treatments before even thinking about sharing their diagnosis with other people.
Think Through How the Conversations Might Go
It can help a lot for seniors to think through how they expect the conversations might go. This could help them to answer questions they might not have expected, for instance, or prepare for emotional reactions. Home care providers can roleplay with seniors, helping them to plan out what they might say or expect.
Make Sure Seniors Are Facing the Conversations Realistically
Not everyone is going to react as expected, unfortunately. Sometimes seniors might be surprised that friends and family members need a little bit of time to process the news themselves. Reminding seniors to be patient and to let people sort through their feelings can help them to manage their own expectations.
Tailor the Conversation for the Audience
Each relationship is unique, so this conversation likely requires a unique approach. Younger children, for instance, might need a slightly different version of what’s happening in order to understand. Close family members may get more details than extended family members. Seniors need to know that they can trust family caregivers to offer up only the information that seniors are comfortable offering to others. This is their diagnosis, after all, so it’s important that they have some control over how the information is shared.
Ensure Seniors Have the Support They Need
Seniors must have the support they need throughout this whole process. It’s a difficult diagnosis to receive in the first place, and then sharing that news with others is not easy to do. Alzheimer’s care providers understand all of this and they can be there to offer emotional support when aging adults want to talk about their experiences and how they’re feeling.
None of this is easy, either for seniors or the people who love them. But they do eventually need to feel comfortable sharing their Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis with the people they want to have that information. Alzheimer’s care providers are there to offer hands-on support to Alzheimer’s patients, but they’re also there for situations like this. They can give emotional support and help seniors to figure out how they want to share this sensitive information.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s care in St. Paul, MN and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
