Dementia Action Week

Why is Dementia Action Week important?

Firstly, it raises awareness of a disease that impacts not just the lives of those living with dementia, but also their friends and family.

This year’s campaign is aimed at encouraging people to seek a diagnosis because the statistics are shocking: 1 in 3 people living with dementia do not even know they have it.

Why does that matter?

Firstly, a diagnosis can open doors to getting the right advice. Depending on your symptoms, there may be treatments that can help. Support and guidance are available for you and your loved ones, offering practical tips that can improve the quality of your day-to-day life.

A diagnosis also helps collect vital data that can be used to campaign for funding and to drive changes in how the NHS and the care system handle and fund dementia support.

It gives you a window of opportunity to plan for the next stage of life. There are important legal matters to consider, such as making or reviewing a Will.

You can also put in place Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) to ensure that, should you become unable to make decisions for yourself, you have chosen who will make those decisions on your behalf. LPAs can cover both financial affairs and health and welfare decisions.

It is also advisable to seek advice on the payment of care fees and to discuss whether you wish to engage in any estate planning to address both your needs and the future needs of your family.

If the diagnosis comes too late, you may not get the support you need when you need it. Your family might find themselves limited in the support they can offer. Often, this results in having to apply to the Court of Protection to make decisions on your behalf which is an expensive and time-consuming process, usually arising during a crisis, adding stress for your loved ones.

91% of people affected by dementia believe there are benefits to getting a diagnosis.

Our collective motto should be: “If in doubt, check it out,” because if your symptoms are not due to dementia, there may still be something else going on that needs attention.

If you would like to talk to someone about the legal considerations following a diagnosis, please contact Jane by emailing [email protected] or calling 01404 541904.