Right to diagnosis support – how dementia advisers can make a difference
Right to diagnosis support – how dementia advisers can make a difference
In this film we follow Linda through her diagnosis and see how frightening and confusing it can be. We also see how much difference a Dementia Adviser or Support worker can make to the experience.
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"I am afraid the results confirm what we suspected: You’ve got dementia."
No-one wants to hear these words. But unfortunately thousands of people do – more and more every year.
It can be devastating, confusing, and truly frightening.
Down the hall patients with other conditions like cancer or heart disease receive equally terrible news. They’re not lucky, but the system is better set up to help them with treatment, information and support.
As there is no cure for dementia, people aren’t seen to require urgent treatment. Their situation isn't considered critical, but hopes for a happy later life and retirement crumble away all the same.
Perhaps even more so, as they know that as the months and years pass, day-to-day memory will deteriorate and other symptoms worsen. Each day will only become harder.
But it doesn’t have to be like this. The right support after a diagnosis can make all the difference and help people go on to live well with dementia.
This means getting information about the condition and how to manage it, any treatment that may ease symptoms, and getting both practical and emotional support.
That's where dementia advisers come in. They can't cure it, but they do make life easier.
They answer questions, offer advice, and crucially they understand. They know where in the local area to get help. They know how to live well with dementia.
They provide a link between the GP, hospital doctor, physio, care worker, and other professionals people with dementia need.
Nine out of ten people told us they weren't happy with the help given to them after their diagnosis. It's not good enough.
Our Right to Know campaign is calling on the government to better support people with dementia after their diagnosis. A big part of that is getting more dementia advisers to people who need them. A dementia adviser can make as big a difference to a person's life as a good GP.
Everyone who's told they've got dementia deserves support.
If you agree with us, you can help. Write to your MP. They can ask the government how they’ll fix this.
Because people with dementia have a Right To Know about their condition in order to tackle it head on. It's not a lot to ask, and only what people deserve.
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