Understanding the diagnosis

Understand your type of dementia so you can adjust

1.3 What to ask your doctor

Your doctor can advise you on treatments and lifestyle

1.4 Learn from dementia experts

Some people prefer to have as much information as possible, and others prefer to focus on what they need to know right now. Choose what information you need, and in what form.

1.5 Find hope

Have hope! You can adjust to dementia and continue living your life

1.6 Bust dementia myths

Don’t be trapped by stereotypes of dementia

1.7 Learn from others with dementia

For many people, meeting others living with dementia was a turning point in finding hope

1.8 Progression of dementia

Some people want to know everything about dementia including what will happen in the future. Others don’t want to think about the future yet. Read this page when you’re ready

1.9 Your family’s risk of dementia

Many people with dementia are concerned about whether it is a genetic disease, and whether their children or grandchildren are more likely to get dementia

2.1 Emotional reactions to having dementia

Managing your feelings is a key step in moving forward with dementia

2.2 The idea of having dementia

If you’ve just been diagnosed, the idea of having dementia can often be more disabling than your current symptoms of dementia

2.3 Support to adjust to diagnosis

Counselling, support groups and advisors help you come to terms with diagnosis

2.4 How you feel about yourself

Be confident and positive, you are not your dementia

2.5 Practice positive self-talk

Techniques to boost self-image and challenge self-stigma

2.6 Help for depression and anxiety

Get treatments for your mental health

2.7 Family and friends’ reactions

Your diagnosis affects others. Share your diagnosis and move forward with dementia together

2.8 Share your diagnosis, your way

You are in control of who you tell your diagnosis to, how you tell them, and when you tell them

2.9 Telling friends and family

Start by telling the people you feel closest to

2.10 Tell other health professionals

Share your dementia diagnosis with other health professionals and be assertive about getting therapy

2.11 Tell your employer

Depending on your work role, you may be able to continue working or make adjustments to your role

2.12 Manage stigma from others

Strategies for when others treat you differently because you have dementia

2.13 Manage how you do and don’t want to be treated

Be assertive telling others how you do and don’t want to be treated

3.1 Managing symptoms to achieve what’s most important

Live a meaningful life with dementia with the help of strategies and therapies

3.2 Memory, thinking and perception difficulties

Difficulties with memory or thinking are defining features of having dementia and make it harder for people with dementia to go about their lives

3.3 Memory and thinking strategies

Many people use strategies to help with their memory and thinking. Here are some strategies that people with dementia use

3.4 Therapies to help memory and thinking

Therapies including medication, brain training, cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive stimulation therapy to help with memory and thinking difficulties

3.5 Driving when you have dementia

When people are told they have dementia, they often worry about whether they will be allowed to drive, or whether they should still drive

3.6 Strategies from others who stopped driving

People with dementia use a range of strategies and different travel options to get to the places they need to go

3.7 Transport options for people with dementia

If you can no longer drive, there are Government programs that provide taxi subsidies and community transport options

3.8 Dementia makes activities outside home harder

It’s often harder to get out of the house and do things with dementia

3.9 Strategies from others for when you are out and about

People with dementia share their strategies to overcome difficulties when out and about

3.10 Dementia friendly groups

At dementia friendly groups or activities, people are more accepting of your symptoms

3.11 Speech and occupational therapy

Speech and occupational therapy help you undertake day-to-day activities and maintain your independence

3.12 Dementia makes it harder to manage at home

There are things you can do to help your daily activities and reduce the risk of an accident

3.13 Strategies from others to deal with difficulties at home

Strategies used by people with dementia to overcome difficulties and keep safe at home

3.14 Occupational therapy and home modifications

Occupational therapists can help you overcome difficulties and identify home modifications to keep you safe at home

3.15 Services which support you at home

Cleaners, gardeners and handymen can do jobs that might be difficult or dangerous for you

4.1 Your physical health affects your brain health

Keep physically healthy to improve your quality of life

4.2 Exercise to boost your physical health

Exercise can help to improve or maintain memory, thinking, and the daily function of people with dementia

4.3 Eat and drink well

Try to eat fresh, healthy food which includes lots of fruits and vegetables as your brain will work best with this fuel

4.4 Rest well

With dementia, even doing usual activities can be mentally tiring

4.5 Attend to other health issues

If your overall health is well managed, your brain health will benefit

4.6 Build emotional resilience

There is a strong link between your mental health, mood and how well your brain is working

4.7 Be mentally active

People with dementia can grow new brain cells and connections

4.8 Be socially active

Keep spending time with friends

4.9 Join a group to be more socially active

A local group or club is a great way of socialising and meeting new people

5.1 Make a plan for this year

Your life plan is flexible. As things change in your life, your plan might need to change

5.2 Put your life plan into action

Once you have your life plan, put it into action. Things won’t always go to plan, so adjust and adapt along the way

5.3 Plan to use services

Services help you maintain independence and provide practical and emotional support to improve your wellbeing

5.4 Talk to your family about your future wishes

Talking to your family means that they know what your future wishes are

5.5 Plan for when you can’t make decisions

Organising enduring power of attorney, enduring guardianship and an advance care plan ensures your wishes will be undertaken in the future

5.6 Your will

Express your wishes for the future through your will, enduring power of attorney, enduring guardianship

5.7 Financial planning

Put financial plans in place so you can be involved in decisions about future care needs

5.8 Organise important documents

Get important documents in one safe place and make sure people you trust know where they are

1.1 Information about the diagnosis will help you move forward

Caring for, or supporting, someone with a dementia diagnosis is not easy. Understanding more about dementia can help you better prepare and adjust to life with dementia

1.2 Understand the types of dementia

Getting information and understanding the specific type of dementia can help you better prepare and adjust to life with dementia

1.3 Ask the doctor for information about dementia

Make a follow-up appointment with the doctor to find out more and ask questions

1.4 Get trustworthy, up-to-date information

Choose what information you need, and in what form. Some people are happy reading on the computer, some like videos, others like printed brochures or books

1.5 Finding hope

Life with dementia, despite the challenges, can be meaningful and even bring surprising rewards

1.6 Break down myths and stereotypes

Many people with dementia do a lot for themselves and for others and are in control of their lives, even if they get help for some tasks

1.7 Learn from others leading meaningful lives

Learning how others have adjusted and moved forward with dementia give a sense of hope

1.8 The progression of dementia

Dementia mostly progresses slowly but the progress differs for each person

1.9 Plan to get support

Support is out there, it is how you use it that is important

1.10 Plan for now and the future

Plan to have (and use) the right supports, and ensure that you do not become exhausted by your caring responsibilities

1.11 Your children’s risk of dementia

Many families want to know about the risk of inheriting dementia or ‘passing it on’ to children or grandchildren

2.1 Strong emotions with a dementia diagnosis

Carers describe strong emotional reactions to being told the diagnosis

2.2 Working through feelings is a positive step

Expressing, talking through and accepting your feelings about the dementia diagnosis

2.3 When feelings threaten to overwhelm you

Sometimes intense feelings last for a long time and don’t seem to resolve

2.4 Plan to prevent depression

Plan ahead to help avoid becoming depressed, and feel more in control

2.5 Talking about the dementia diagnosis

Open and honest sharing can help you express your feelings and support each other

2.6 The person with dementia won’t talk about their diagnosis

Sharing the diagnosis helps you to come to terms with it, and ultimately, get the support you need

2.7 Reactions of family and friends to the diagnosis

Other carers describe a range of reactions by family and friends when they tell them about the diagnosis

2.8 Sharing the diagnosis with family and friends

Sharing the diagnosis helps you to come to terms with it, others to understand and ultimately, get the support you need

2.9 Sharing the diagnosis with professionals

It is helpful for professionals who provide you with services to know that the person has a dementia diagnosis

2.10 Sharing the diagnosis with employers

You may need workplace changes so you can provide the sort of support you want to give

2.11 Managing how others treat you and the person you support

Strategies for when others treat you differently because of dementia

2.12 Be assertive with doctors and other professionals

Some health professionals may not have much experience with dementia

2.13 Tell others how you want to be supported

Caring for a person with dementia takes time and energy. As a carer, you will need support yourself

3.1 Dealing with memory and thinking difficulties

Memory and thinking difficulties are common to dementia, but don’t have to define your life

3.2 Medications

Strategies, therapies and medications to help with memory and thinking difficulties

3.3 Cognitive therapies and rehabilitation

Cognitive stimulation, cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation

3.4 Strategies to help with memory and thinking difficulties

Dementia makes it harder to learn new things but people with dementia can develop new habits

3.5 Sensory and perceptual changes

Sometimes dementia damages the part of the brain that interprets information from the senses

3.6 Managing anxiety about memory and thinking difficulties

Strategies that reduce anxiety for people with dementia

3.7 Helping people with dementia to stay on task

Strategies to help maintain focus and stay on task

3.8 Helping without taking over

Setting up a task and providing encouragement can help the person maintain a skill and preserve their self-esteem

3.9 Dealing with driving

It is not always necessary to give up driving after a diagnosis but the driving authority and insurer must be informed

3.10 Supporting someone to stop driving

Start discussions as early as possible and get professional support if needed

3.11 Transport alternatives

Tax subsidies, community transport and other strategies when the person you support stops driving

3.12 Dealing with symptoms when out and about

Supporting someone with socialising and activities outside the home

3.13 Use therapies to help people maintain independence

Supporting someone with socialising and doing activities outside the home

3.14 Dealing with symptoms at home

Considerations for living at home or moving into a retirement village

3.15 Create a dementia-friendly environment

A few key changes in the home will support people with dementia to function better

3.16 Assistive technologies at home

Use products that help people with dementia stay connected and safe

3.17 Use services to support living at home

Use services to ensure the person you support can keep living successfully at home

4.1 Live well to care well

Look after your physical, mental and emotional health, it will help you both move forward

4.2 Types of exercise

Exercise can help to improve or maintain memory, thinking, and daily function

4.3 Eat well

Eating well is important as diet has a big impact on brain health, energy levels and mood for you and the person you support

4.4 Get plenty of rest

As we get older, we all experience changes to our sleep patterns

4.5 Look after your own health

Avoid carer burnout. Prioritise taking breaks that will ‘recharge your batteries’

4.6 Build your emotional resilience

There is a strong link between your mental health, mood and how well your brain is working

4.7 Practise self-care

Self-care is an investment in your own mental health and helps you move forward in supporting someone with dementia

5.1 Plan for now to live well

Make a life plan and put it into action to help you move forward

5.2 Make a life plan for this year

Creating a life plan is a series of steps

5.3 Putting your life plan in to action

Things won’t always go to plan, so adjust and adapt along the way

5.4 Know about support services

Learning about services and getting them in place for you and the person you support is an important part of moving forward

5.5 Types of Services

There are services for the person with dementia and for carers

5.6 Getting services – My Aged Care

This page on government services through My Aged Care is for people 65 years or over

5.7 Getting services – National Disability Insurance Scheme

The NDIS funds services to enable the person with younger onset dementia to live their daily lives

5.8 Getting services – Local organisations and councils

These might offer an array of services, groups and activities

5.9 Ensure plans for the future are in place

For the person with dementia, there will come a time when it will be difficult for them to express their wishes so it is important to have plans for the future in place

5.10 Plan for future lifestyle, health and medical care

There may come a time for all of us when we can’t make decisions about medical or health care, or lifestyle decisions, such as whether to move to residential care

5.11 Plan your legal affairs and money

Power of attorney, protection from financial abuse and preparing will(s)

5.12 Sort out important documents

Get important documents in one safe place and make sure people you trust know where they are

5.13 Plan for emergencies