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Dementia planning should address medical, practical, social, and emotional changes.

Advance care planning protects the person’s voice before decisions become urgent.

Social workers can help families find resources, respite, and care options.

Therapists can help families process the emotional roller coaster of dementia.

In my clinical and coaching practice, I see many people with a friend or family member who has just received a dementia diagnosis. I often get asked, “Where do I even start?”

Most people reinvent the wheel over and over. Let me save you some time.

Here is where I tell my clients to start. The items are numbered, but do them in any order that seems most relevant for you.

These are tasks that can be completed over the course of the first 6 months to a year of a diagnosis, not overnight. Start with ONE next step; you do not need to solve the whole future today.

1. Get the medical part organized

After a diagnosis, families need a clear medical plan. You do want to understand what the medical team knows, what they are still watching, and what kind of support may help.

Some questions to ask:

What symptoms should we expect next?

What symptoms should we expect next?

Are there medications that may help? If the medications don’t seem to be working, what is the process for trying something else?

Are there medications that may help? If the medications don’t seem to be working, what is the process for trying something else?

Should we see neurology, geriatrics, psychiatry, neuropsychology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, or palliative care?

Should we see neurology, geriatrics, psychiatry, neuropsychology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, or palliative care?

Who do I talk to about an ROI when we see other providers? (If your medical........

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