It’s a tough line to tow when you start to see the red flags and symptoms of Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other related diseases while spending time with your loved one. Should I approach the topic? How do I approach the topic? And when is the right time to open the conversation up with your loved one?

Well, it’s seems most of us wait until those red flags turn into red flashing strobe lights with sirens!  Now you feel pressed for coming up with alternative life changing choices.  You are now in Crisis Mode! You are now faced with making quick decisions and adding enormous amounts of stresses to your own life. OK, let’s rewind.

You’re visiting with your loved one, you notice their forgetfulness window has narrowed and they are repeating themselves several times within the hour or they are becoming easily agitated over what they previously did not give a second thought to. Now is the time to calmly and unconfrontationally say; I think it’s time for your annual visit to Dr. GP, let me go ahead and give them a call and see when we can get you in there, I’ll try and set it up for late morning so that after, we can go out for lunch and have a little fun time together. Leave it at that, no need to explain your thoughts. Keep it simple!

When you set up the appointment, make sure you either ask to speak with your loved ones doctor or a nurse so that they are well aware of your concerns and the reason for the appointment. Also,discuss with them beforehand that you feel they may want to suggest a referral for a neurologist for further examination of your loved ones progression. Your main objective is to get a accurate diagnosis, to enable your loved one to receive proper treatment and track the progression from a reasonable starting point. These few simple steps you take before the flashing red strobe lights with sirens appear, will make the inevitable transitions of everyone’s lives smoother and easier to manage.

For more assistance with resources and information pertaining to these topics and more, go to www.aseniorschoiceonline.com or call 518-424-2527.