Dementia is a very common illness. It's been estimated that one in three people aged over-65 years of age will develop dementia. As a syndrome most types of dementia are degenerative - meaning that they're non-reversible - and lead to a gradual decline of the brain's abilities. The abilities affected in someone diagnosed with dementia include their mental agility, a loss of memory, and the capability to understand and judge situations. As the condition worsens, those suffering from dementia require care. This care could be provided by a family member during the early stages of the illness, but as it progresses and worsens, professional care is likely to be required.

Though coming to terms with being diagnosed with dementia may be one of the toughest experiences one could face in life, it's important that a sufferer communicates with their immediate family about the issue. In the early days the symptoms won't be too severe. Therefore, there's an opportunity to create a care plan for dementia. Talking in such a way certainly isn't easy, but it's important - as is creating a care plan for dementia.

Without a care plan for dementia, there may be no way of knowing what the recipient of care wants. Remember, they're the most important party in all of this. And it's what they want that matters most. If you leave creating a care plan for dementia too late, it could get to the stage where they're simply unable to answer the questions that could help form such a plan.
Here are three of the most important issues to discuss when formulating a care plan for dementia:

Who's Going to Be Responsible for Making the Big Decisions?
In many families this could prove to be a contentious question.

However, all petty squabbling should be put to the side and put towards creating a solid care plan for dementia. Due to the degenerative nature of dementia as an illness, the ability within someone from suffering from it to make rational decisions and remember will diminish over time. Therefore, a responsible member of the family or a close friend needs to be appointed by the person suffering from dementia to make these decisions when they're no longer able to. These decisions might relate to financial management or healthcare.

Who's Going To Provide Care?

Depending on the circumstances, this question might be fairly easy to answer when creating a care plan for dementia. In some family set-ups, one relative may be able to step and provide dementia care. However, in other families, due to a variety of reasons, this might not be possible. In these instances care from an external source will need to be considered - whether it's live in care or a residential care home.

How Is It Going To Be Funded?

Care costs money. Regardless of whether it's live in care or residential care, funding will need to be given serious thought when developing a care plan for dementia.

Without a care plan for dementia, these issues can cause unnecessary problems at an already stressful time. A good care plan for dementia, on the other hand, could enable families to spend more time caring for their loved ones.