If you are the spouse or adult child of a parent who just received a diagnosis of dementia (or maybe it’s your own diagnosis), you likely have a lot of questions. And while the future remains uncertain, they and you are still alive and in the present.
Below is some important information about the steps to take after a diagnosis of dementia.
Plan now for later
If the diagnosis is recent and the disease hasn’t progressed too far, this is the time to attend to any undone estate planning matters. It’s imperative to act quickly, as otherwise, some may claim there was undue influence present when the estate planning documents were executed.
Learn all you can about the diagnosis
Dementia is more of a symptom of disease than its own freestanding diagnosis. The dementia experienced by a Parkinson’s sufferer may differ markedly from the dementia that accompanies Alzheimer’s Disease. While no cure exists for either, learning which symptoms to anticipate can track the trajectory of the disease and help with symptom management.
Assess the gravity of the situation
People first diagnosed with dementia don’t necessarily need complex security and invasive controls. Simply restricting them to daytime driving short distances to familiar locations may be sufficient. Until their conditions worsen significantly, gradually adding more checks and balances on their activities of daily living (ADLs) can keep them in their homes longer.
Decide whether a guardianship is appropriate
Not everyone with dementia will need court-appointed guardians, but for those who do, this provides layers of transparency and accountability regarding the patient and their affairs.
For instance, if your parent is an Ohio resident but you live elsewhere in the country and can’t be there at a moment’s notice, seeking guardianship of your elderly parent allows you to ensure their safety 24/7.