Why It's Best to Involve People With Early Stage Dementia in Care Planning

Researchers at the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging in Cleveland say people should involve individuals with early-stage dementia in care planning activities as soon as possible, reports Next Avenue . "People tend to wait until something happens, until there is a crisis, to take action," notes institute analyst Silvia Orsulic-Jeras. As program manager for Benjamin Rose's Support, Health, Activities, Resources, and Education (SHARE) program, Orsulic-Jeras recommends participation in the program. SHARE teaches people with early-stage dementia and their loved ones about dementia, and helps them plan for the kind of care and support they will require. Benjamin Rose's Carol Whitlatch says shame and embarrassment associated with dementia often prevent individuals with the disease and their families from openly discussing the subject and planning for future needs. "In the early stages especially, people are often fully aware of the meaning of their diagnosis and able to communicate care choices and preferences," she explains. "And they not only want to be actively involved in making decisions about future care, they also place a high level of importance on not being a burden and being as helpful to their family caregivers as possible." In SHARE sessions, the person with dementia and their caregiver work with a trained counselor to develop a future care plan.