Publication
Facing Dementia
Section Six: Practical help
Your illness means that you will gradually find it more difficult to cope with everyday activities such as shopping, cooking and remembering appointments. But you should keep active. Do as much as you can, with help where necessary.
Don't be embarrassed to ask for help from family, friends and neighbours. Ask them to try to help you to do things rather than just do them for you. Perhaps someone could help you remember appointments by making sure you have them in your diary and phoning you to remind you. If you find you are getting muddled when you go shopping, perhaps you and a neighbour could go at the same time, to help you keep track.
You will be able to get more help as you start to need it. Contact your local social work department to find out what help they can offer you. You will find their number in the phone book under your regional council. A social worker will talk to you to assess your needs. If you have a carer, someone who is helping you or caring for you, the social work department should talk to him or her, too. The social work department must provide you with a written copy ofyour assessment. If you don't think it's right, you can ask them to change it. They should offer you services to meet your needs. For example, some of the things that may help are:
- a home help
- a place at a day centre
- equipment to help you cope and keep safe in the house
- short stays in a residential home to give you or the people you live with a relaxing break.
Ask your doctor to refer you to a community psychiatric nurse (or CPN). They are specialists in helping you with the practical and emotional difficulties that you may face. A CPN can come and visit you regularly to see how you are getting on and to help you get more help when you need it.
Some people with dementia find it hard to accept help at first, but you have a right to help. With help, you can be as independent as you can for as long as possible. Taking help does not mean you are giving up, it means you are facing your difficulties realistically.
It may be particularly hard to take help from outside your family, but