There might be times when your senior wonders whether her memory issues are just normal aging or whether they’re related to something more serious, like dementia. But the thought of actually talking to her doctor might be nerve-wracking for her.
Do Some Research of Your Own
If your elderly family member is having concerns about dementia, there are likely reasons. There may be behaviors that you, she, or other people have noticed that she’s now concerned about. Learning as much as you can about dementia and how it presents and what is involved is really important. This can help you to have better and more informed conversations with your senior.
Have a One-on-one with Your Senior
When you feel a little more informed, it might be easier to try talking with your senior again about all of this. Open up the conversation when you’re both calm and in a good space, emotionally. Let her know that you are concerned about her overall well-being and that making sure she’s alright may involve talking about difficult topics with her doctor. Whether she has dementia or not, you can help her manage what’s happening.
Make an Appointment Anyway
You never want to force your senior to do something she doesn’t really want to do, but it might be a good idea to go ahead and schedule an appointment with your senior’s doctor. Having an appointment coming up might help her to go ahead and decide to talk with her doctor about what she’s experiencing and what her concerns are. This is a chance for her to get her questions answered and to really understand what she’s up against.
Remember This Is Not Easy
What’s really important to remember is that these conversations, both with you and with her doctor, are likely not easy for your senior to have. They require her to face up to some difficult possibilities and she may be a lot more afraid of some of these health concerns than you realize. Figuring out how to cope with whatever might be coming next in terms of her health is really important.
Regardless of whether now is the right time to have these conversations, it might be a good idea to make sure your senior has extra help. Home care providers can give your senior a hand with tasks that are becoming difficult for a variety of reasons, not just dementia.