What Do You Do if Your Senior Is Convinced She’s Got Dementia?
Dementia is a frightening possibility for so many aging adults.
If your elderly family member is concerned about developing dementia, she might come to you expressing those fears. It’s important that if your elderly family member is convinced that she’s developing dementia or other cognitive issues you look into what might be happening as soon as possible. That can help you get her the right medical solutions quickly.
Consider Her History
If your elderly family member has a complicated medical history and multiple issues she’s dealing with, she may well be right to be concerned. Memory issues that cause problems for her on a daily basis are definitely nothing to ignore. On the other hand, she might be worried about something that is normal memory functioning. It’s time to dig a little bit deeper.
Talk About Why She Feels it’s Dementia
Instead of brushing away your senior’s concerns, sit with her and talk about why she feels that she’s dealing with dementia. Listen to what she’s sharing and take some notes if you want to get the details right. Talk about whether she feels as if these issues are getting worse or not.
Set up an Appointment with Her Doctor
You should have enough information at this point to talk to your senior’s doctor. Her doctor can run tests and ask some more questions of your elderly family member in an effort to determine what could be going on. When you have an official answer, your senior can finally stop worrying or take the next step in treating her symptoms. Having an answer is the important part because that’s what allows her to move on from questioning.
Hire Some Assistance
Whether your elderly family member has dementia or not, having senior care providers around to help her can give her a feeling of security. If she still has memory concerns or she merely feels more comfortable having companionship available, they can cover all of that ground with her. They can also let you know what they see in her behavior, which can be helpful information at follow-up visits with her doctor.
If your elderly family member is afraid of health conditions like dementia it isn’t likely that you’re going to be able to convince her that she’s fine. What can help is to approach the situation from a medical perspective and then make sure that she’s got the support that she needs to feel safe and heard.
