What to Do After a Dementia Diagnosis in Lancaster
What should you do after a dementia diagnosis in Lancaster? Find practical next steps, local dementia support and advice for planning care at home.
A dementia diagnosis can leave families with a long list of questions. What happens next? Who should you speak to? What support is available in Lancaster, and how soon should you start thinking about care?
You do not need to make every decision immediately. A useful first step is to understand what support is available, deal with the practical priorities and continue involving the person living with dementia in decisions wherever possible.
Understand what happens after diagnosis
After a dementia diagnosis, there should usually be ongoing support through healthcare services. This may include follow-up with a GP or memory service, discussion of treatment where appropriate and a care plan covering current and future needs.
The NHS provides guidance to patients and families, including information about care assessments, finances, legal planning and driving.
It can help to keep a simple record of appointments, medication and questions you want to raise with healthcare professionals, particularly when several family members are involved.
Find dementia support in and around Lancaster
Support does not only come from medical services.
Alzheimer’s Society provides dementia advice, support groups, dementia cafés and other services for people living with dementia and their families. You can use its dementia support directory to search by postcode for services available locally.
Home Instead Lancaster also runs dementia cafés at Williamson Park, giving people living with dementia and their families an opportunity for company, conversation and local support.
Finding support early can be useful even when someone is managing well. It means you already know where to turn if needs change later.
Talk about the practical things while there is time
A diagnosis can also be a prompt to discuss practical arrangements for the future.
This might include finances, benefits, a will, preferences about future care and whether to arrange a Lasting Power of Attorney. A dementia diagnosis does not automatically mean somebody cannot make their own decisions, so involving the person themselves remains important.
These conversations do not all need to happen at once, but addressing them earlier can make future decisions easier for everyone involved.
Think about what would help at home
Many families initially manage with small changes: maintaining familiar routines, using reminders, helping with meals or appointments, or checking in more regularly.
Over time, look for signs that extra support could help. These might include difficulty managing medication, missed meals, problems with personal care, increasing anxiety, isolation or a family carer struggling to keep up. A local authority needs assessment can help establish what support somebody may require.
Professional home care can also be introduced gradually. Home Instead Lancaster provides dementia care at home in Lancaster, including support with routines, personal care, medication reminders and companionship.
The aim does not have to be taking over. The right level of support can help someone continue doing what they can for themselves while remaining safe and connected at home.
If your family is beginning to think about extra support at home, the Home Instead Lancaster team can talk through what is becoming difficult and explain the different types of support available, without any obligation to arrange care straight away. Enquire today.
FAQs
What should we do first after a dementia diagnosis?
Start with the information provided by your GP or memory service, write down questions and find out what local support is available. You do not need to organise everything immediately.
Can someone with dementia continue living at home?
Many people can continue living at home after diagnosis, particularly with familiar routines, family support and additional care where needed.
Where can families find dementia support in Lancaster?
Support may come through GPs, memory services, Lancashire social care, Alzheimer’s Society and local community services, including dementia cafés and home care providers.