After Dementia Diagnosis: How To Plan The Future With Dallas, TX Memory Care Facilities

A loved one’s dementia diagnosis is a heartbreaking realization. While it may be difficult to move beyond the reality of your loved one’s condition, it is critical to use this valuable time to plan for what’s to come.

The symptoms of dementia-related illnesses worsen over time. You or a loved one may not retain the same clarity of thought as before. Ensure that you have those discussions with your loved ones today to avoid legal and medical hassles tomorrow.

Whether you’re caring for a loved one at home, or they’re part of Dallas, TX memory care facilities, plan for health, financial, and long-term care directives using these tips.

Advance Directives

Advance directives are a type of healthcare planning document that allows your loved ones to express their preferences for future medical decisions legally. These are useful if they cannot make critical decisions at the time. Without a directive and the person’s ability to make these decisions, a designated relative or family member can do the same.

An advance directive typically comprises these two documents:

• A Living Will: This document outlines preferences for emergency treatment if they are dying or are permanently unconscious.
• A Power of Attorney for Healthcare: This document defines a “proxy” to make medical decisions if your loved one cannot.

You or your loved ones can also make other medical decisions after a detailed discussion with your doctor. Talk to your loved ones to plan these directives:

• Do not resuscitate order (DNR)
• Do not intubate order (DNI)
• Organ/tissue donation for transplant
• Preferences for life-sustaining care
• Brain donation for Alzheimer’s research

Planning for Long-Term Care

As dementia symptoms worsen over time, long-term care planning becomes increasingly important. Discuss your preferences for long-term senior care with your loved ones soon after diagnosis to avoid surprises or stressful situations in the future.

This can include talking about and selecting different types of care, such as in-home nursing care, memory care communities, round-the-clock care, or assisted living communities.

Financial Directives

Planning financial directives can be tricky, but it is necessary given the financial demands of caring for a person with dementia. Have these discussions while your loved one is still mentally capable to avoid legal ramifications later.

A financial directive may include the following key elements:

• A power of attorney to handle finances and make monetary decisions on your behalf
• A will that specifies the distribution and management of wealth after death. This directive may also include any funerary preferences

Enlist the assistance of a reputable lawyer and walk through these procedures with your loved one.

End-of-Life Care

While you can still manage dementia-related illnesses up to a point, there is sadly no cure for this debilitating condition. While the timeline varies from person to person, the truth is that dementia causes irreversible cognitive decline, eventually leading to death. That is why it is critical to establish the scope of medical care early on.

Consider discussing end-of-life care with your loved one so that you can at least ensure that they spend their final days in a dignified and comforting environment. Encourage your loved ones to communicate their preferences for end-of-life care, such as whether they want to stay at home or spend their days in a hospice.