After being diagnosed with dementia, Myrna Norman was told to go home and get her affairs in order. For her and so many others, diagnosis is incorrectly painted as “the beginning of the end”.
In reality, an early dementia diagnosis can empower people and their care partners to create a new way forward for living well with cognitive changes.
That message of early awareness is the focus of this September’s World Alzheimer’s Month: “The Earlier You Know, The More You Can Do”. With early diagnosis comes the opportunity to access support and resources that can transform a person’s experience with dementia.
Changing the Perception of a Dementia Diagnosis
Dementia describes a set of symptoms that can be caused by various disorders. About 50 to 70 per cent of all people living with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease, a diagnosis typically characterized by problems with short-term memory, concentration, problem solving and thinking.
The time leading up to and after a dementia diagnosis can be confusing and stressful. Some people avoid sharing their experiences for fear of rejection, isolation or cultural stigma. Others may dismiss cognitive changes as a normal part of aging and delay seeking help.
As difficult as it can be, reaching out to healthcare professionals and trusted family and friends as early as possible may positively impact long-term well-being.
Living Well with Dementia
While dementia is progressive, meaning that symptoms will continue to develop over time, medication and a healthy lifestyle may slow the progression of symptoms. When these tools are combined with strategies for day-to-day living and support from care partners, people living with dementia can lead full and meaningful lives.
After her diagnosis, Myrna discovered that feeling joy, being involved in her community, and even taking up brand-new hobbies were all possible. As an advocate for living well with dementia, she found purpose in sharing her story through Forward with Dementia, an online resource that helps people find hope, answer questions and learn from others as they navigate their own dementia journey.
For Myrna, it was empowering to acknowledge that “things can be better. We can actually take steps to make them better. We know that there are certain tools that we can use, from going for a walk in nature to listening to music, that can actually improve our life.”
To learn more about navigating a dementia diagnosis, visit forwardwithdementia.ca
The Canadian arm of the Forward with Dementia initiative has been hosted at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging since 2023. The program’s development was led by Carrie McAiney, Schlegel Research Chair in Dementia, and co-designed with people living with dementia, family and friend care partners, and health and social care providers.