When someone you love starts to show signs of dementia it can place an enormous amount of pressure and stress on the person affected, as well as their family and friends.
Early diagnosis is crucial in tackling the symptoms of dementia that can lead to loss in health, well-being, and a breakdown in positive family relationships. It can help identify conditions that are treatable and can be looked after straight away. It can also assist families in coping with the change and coming up with appropriate strategies to care for their loved one.
Treatment and planning
Once a diagnosis is attained, starting to plan for your care journey is important so that you’re prepared for each stage in advance. While some of the symptoms of dementia are treatable, there is no cure at present. Treatment can alleviate symptoms, though, meaning the person with dementia can continue living a positive and fulfilling life for as long as possible.
Before you receive care – either at home or in care accommodation – you may need to take part in a Government-based assessment so that we can fully understand the level of care you need. This is provided through the Government’s Aged Care Assessment Services.
This may help:
- At any point while you’re waiting to be assessed you can search for the right care from all the government-assisted services as well as other private services available.
- Simply start a care summary, tell us what you’re looking for so that we can really understand the level of care you need and we’ll match you with a range of care options specific to dementia care in a matter of seconds.
While dementia is an extremely serious condition with no cure, it is also very common. In Australia, three in every 10 people ages over 85 years has the condition, with many younger people affected too. As such, there are treatments, assistance and medical and social support services in place to ensure that nobody needs to go through the dementia journey alone.
