Welcome to the second Video Blog with Tommy. After your great reactions and feedback, we decided to post these weekly now! This time, we asked Tommy what he would advise someone to do after being diagnosed with dementia.
Have a look at what he said:
"I think that can be quite personal to most people." "You have to keep celebrating the incredible person that you are, the families that we have. Keep telling and sharing those stories." "Changing it from "What's the matter with..." to "What matters to you?", is the key to this.
We spoke to a lot of counselors and have done a countless amount of reading, but none of the pieces of advice out there have really been so personal. We definitely believe that this approach is essential in this difficult and emotional time. Getting into this mindset and knowing what the essential things are should be the first thing to do, before taking any other steps.
It is nevertheless great that there are many good resources out there that can give you advice and information about dementia and the resulting "new normal". Also tips about treatment, medication and support are crucial. Some of our favorite resources are:
Alzheimer's Society - After a diagnosis
NHS - What to do after you've been diagnosed with dementia
Alzheimer's Association - Just diagnosed
A big "Thank You" to Tommy for speaking with us again. What would be/was the first step after a diagnosis for you? Share it with us in the comments section! The next video will be posted in a week, until then, we hope you are enjoying your MindMate App!