The diagnosis of dementia is life-changing. But the person does not become the illness. That is why it is important that you don't treat someone differently because of the diagnosis.
What you can do
- Listen to people living with dementia and their families to help you understand their perspective
- Communicate directly with the person with dementia.
- Be inclusive of a person with dementia when speaking with other family members or in a group. Speak clearly and calmly - so that the person has enough time to understand information.
- Don’t assume that because a person has dementia they are no longer able to do day-to-day tasks or take part in social activities. They may just need extra support or additional time.
- A person’s ability may change over the time of the disease, so how you engaged or helped last time may not be effective this time. You may need to change your approach.