After an Alzheimer's Diagnosis, Friends Stop Calling

A global survey by Alzheimer's Disease International found 38 percent of respondents living with dementia in high-income countries, including the United States, feel avoided, ignored, and abandoned by former friends, reports the Wall Street Journal . "People tend to run when they learn you have dementia," said one respondent. Such reactions partly mirror a lack of understanding of the many stages and types of dementia. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that a person with Alzheimer's lives an average four to eight years after diagnosis, but can live as long as two decades. For those looking to be a better friend to someone living with dementia, suggestions include: educate yourself; ask what they are comfortable doing and what they need help with; talk directly to the person, not to their spouse or partner; don't correct or argue if they say something that isn't accurate; don't ask a series of questions, which can be confusing; and if going out, avoid loud, crowded places.