Dementia and relationships
Dementia can affect all aspects of a person's life, including relationships with family and friends. If you've been diagnosed with dementia, your relationships with others may change over time. Everyone experiences dementia differently. But with the right help and support, relationships can still be positive and caring.
Telling people about your dementia diagnosis
Communication is an important part of any relationship.
When you're ready, tell others about your diagnosis.
It's also good to tell them what you may have trouble with, such as following a conversation or remembering what was said.
You may find that some people treat you differently than they did before.
This may be because they do not understand what dementia is or are afraid of the effect on your relationship.
Try to explain what your diagnosis means and the ways in which family and friends can help and support you.
A health or social care professional, your GP or a dementia support worker can help with this if you would like them to.
Let your friends and family know that you're still you, even though you have dementia.
Tell them you're still able to enjoy the activities you did before diagnosis, though some may take longer than they used to.
How your relationships may change
As the symptoms of dementia worsen over time, it's likely that you'll need extra help and support.
If you've been used to managing your own or the family's financial and social affairs, this can be hard to accept.
It can also be hard for the person who now has to help you, as the balance of your relationship with them will change.
Other ways your relationships may change include:
- you may become more irritable and less patient – those close to you may find this hard to cope with
- you may start to forget people's names – this can be frustrating for both you and others
- your partner or adult child may become your carer – this can be hard for you both to accept
- sex and intimacy – you may become more or less interested in sex
It's important to talk about your feelings and frustrations. It's also important to keep in contact with family and friends and try to make new friendships through local activities and support groups.
Communication and dementia
Communicating with others is a vital part of any relationship.
Over time, a person living with dementia will find it harder to communicate.
They may:
- repeat themselves
- struggle to find the right word
- find it hard to follow what others are saying
This can lead to frustration for the person, but also for those family and friends around them.
But there are ways to help.
How to communicate with someone with dementia
If you notice that the person living with dementia is finding it hard to communicate, it can help to:
- speak clearly and slowly, using short sentences
- be calm and patient, giving them time to respond
- give them simple choices – avoid creating complicated choices or asking lots of questions
- try not to patronise them or ridicule what they say – include them in conversations with others
- try to make sure your body language is open and relaxed
- use other ways to communicate, such as rephrasing questions because they cannot answer in the way they used to, or using prompts such as photographs or objects
- Communicating with someone with dementia
- Caring for someone with dementia