The dementia guide: subtitled

The Dementia Guide is for anyone who has recently been diagnosed with dementia. It can be any type of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or mixed dementia. It will also be useful to close friends and family of someone with dementia, as it contains information aimed at anyone in a caring role.

A diagnosis of dementia can cause a range of emotions. The news may come as a shock or, for some people, it may bring a sense of relief because it explains the problems they have been experiencing. It can also have a big impact on family and friends.
If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with dementia, you may feel angry, frustrated, worried, fearful, sad, embarrassed, alone, guilty, or even relieved. Everyone is different, but all of these reactions are possible at different times and they are all normal. How you feel will likely vary from day to day.

If you can, talk to your friends and family about how you feel. Others need to understand what you are going through. They may also have difficulty finding things, so talking can help you and them. There are also specialist health and social service professionals you can ask for help.

You can find these services from the Alzheimer's Society – http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID2236 and other useful organizations http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site /scripts/documents_info.php?documentID2237 useful for more information and support.

If you would like to talk about the information in this guide, please call the Alzheimer's Society National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 – calls are cheaply charged.
The helpline is for anyone affected by dementia and is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. Qualified helpline advisors can provide you with information, support, advice and direct you to other appropriate organisations.

Throughout this guide you will see suggested fact sheets from the Alzheimer's Society http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/factsheets. You can order them by telephone on 0300 303 5933 or by email [email protected].
For information sheets specific to Northern Ireland, please contact your local Alzheimer's Society office.

It's important to know that you're not alone: around 800,000 people in the UK have dementia. It is possible to live well with dementia and support is available for you and your family.

This guide was produced by the Alzheimer Society with the support and funding of the Department of Health.

Thanks to Lloyds Banking Group for supporting the dementia guide in 2014 and 2015.

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Who are we?

The Alzheimer's Society is the leading support and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers.

What is dementia?

The term "dementia" is used to describe symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion, and problems with speaking and understanding.

Support the fight against dementia and visit us at
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

If you have any concerns about Alzheimer's disease or any other form of dementia, please contact the Alzheimer's Society National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122.

Alzheimer Society
Leading the fight against dementia