Informing your loved one about their Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Alzheimer’s disease is very serious and has lots of negative mental impacts both on sufferer and their close people. It is still a question on my mind that informing someone who has Alzheimer’s is good or not. After working in both care setting and clinical setting I have seen lots of people with Alzheimer's. From clinical experience I would say that  there is a  a tendency among physicians to not inform their patients of their Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Most physicians think that informing patients about their Alzheimer's diagnosis may be too traumatic or too stressful for certain group of patients.

But we live in a world of unquestioned rights to our own information, therefore the idea of being informed about something is a bit different to summarize. In my opinion if we look at a little further, we can see that there are both pros and cons to letting a loved one know they have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, or with other forms of dementia. In addition, close people and relatives of loved ones can be in a dilemma about how to manage this condition. Below I am going to explain both good and bad sided of telling someone that they have Alzheimer’s disease.

Reasons why family members should not inform someone of their Alzheimer’s diagnosis?

• Knowing about their disease might create a sense of hopelessness.
• Telling them about their diagnosis might cause them emotional stress and vulnerability.
• Being uninformed about their diagnosis can prevent a person from feeling like a burden on family.
• “Why  I need to tell?” “It may make no difference at all,” you might think to yourself.

 

Reasons why family members should inform someone of their Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

• Firstly, it is the honest thing to inform them. Because whatever the diagnosis, they have a right to know.
• Secondly, your entire, family member may suspect something is wrong about themselves. Therefore knowing about their diagnosis may bring a sense of relief.
• Lastly, knowing about their diagnosis also makes further thigs easier. It allows a person with Alzheimer’s and his or her family to start changing lifestyle and creating a plan in place for long-term care.