Support Available
When someone receives a diagnosis of dementia, often the person and their loved ones can feel overwhelmed and be left with an abundance of feelings and emotions. Too often we hear that families and the person who may have received diagnosis are left with very little information about dementia or are given too much information at the point of diagnosis, which means they don’t always digest the information been given as they are trying to process the news of diagnosis.
Receiving support is important for not only the person now living with dementia but loved ones too. The right information and support can enable people to live better with their diagnosis and empower people to maintain purpose and plan for the future. It allows for each person whether it is the person living with dementia or a loved one to understand and make sense of their new reality and the correct support can open opportunities of coping strategies, peer support and further education.
Having access to support services after a diagnosis of dementia is valuable, especially services that are accessible at any time whether its instantly after diagnosis or further down the line. There are many outlets of support available, we have added some useful links below that may be useful.
A GP can often sign post to local support services and there are wider national support services that are accessible online or via phone call. This could be information on dementia, finances and lasting power of attorney, carer support, care homes or even peer support and social groups.
At MMCG we have created our Always You... dementia Toolkit that allows team members and families whose loved one are living in our homes have access to information around dementia. We know that when it comes to looking for care it is important for loved ones and the person moving in, to know that the teams supporting in our homes at MMCG have a good understanding of dementia and understand how to support people to live well. Families can also access the toolkit to gain a more in depth understanding of various topics from Understanding Dementia, Communication difficulties and Understanding Unmet Needs and Distress for people living with dementia. Our care home teams also have the support from our in-house dementia support team who have a wealth of experience and knowledge on dementia.
We also have our Dementia Ambassadors across a large number of our homes where we have encouraged them to offer family support groups in their care homes to ensure we are offering people the opportunity to learn and meet other families going through the same journey and struggles they may be experiencing. This gives people the opportunity to speak with others in similar circumstances, something that we know is so important for many reasons.
Links to support services and resources.
Dementia support services | Alzheimer's Society
For A Cure - Alzheimer's Research UK
Together in dementia everyday. When no one else was here for me, tide were beside me