Receiving a dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be devastating for the individual. There’s an inherent feeling of fear and isolation when this diagnosis has been handed down and an overwhelming sense that you have to go at it alone. It’s important to recognize that upon diagnosis, most patients are still in the early stages, and while they have likely had to let go of many parts of their life, they do not have to lead a life of solitude. There are many resources available to help ease the transition, but very few are exclusively geared toward the individual suffering from dementia.
That’s where one wonderful international organization, Dementia Mentors, comes in. It is their mission to reassure people that there is still life after diagnosis by connecting them with those affected by similar diagnoses all around the globe. Every single mentor has been diagnosed with a dementia-related disease — whether it is Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body dementia, Frontotemporal degeneration, traumatic brain injury, or other causes of dementia — and understands all of the challenges the mentee is facing. It is their goal to provide supportive mentoring, motivation, and most importantly, social engagement, for those suffering. One caveat: there’s no sugar coating. And members have shared that they appreciate finding a forum that is both supportive and honest.
After filling out a form, each participant is connected with a mentor for one-on-one sessions via a video communication program, similar to Skype. Here they can talk privately and confidentiality about their fears and experiences, with someone who has and still is walking in their shoes. Being cognizant of the everyday challenged those suffering from dementia face, the program directors have focused in on making the communication as easy and seamless as possible. Via e-mail they send the mentee a link which only requires a click to enable the two-way, live video communication.
Another service Dementia Mentors provides is hosting weekly memory cafe’s. Offering around 26 sessions a week in different time zones, like the one-on-one mentor sessions, these cafes are only for those with dementia and are hosted by one of the mentors. The memory cafe is simply a social gathering for those suffering from dementia and each session can support up to nine individuals. Unlike a support group, where you meet to talk about your disease, this is a place for a time out where you can just interact with others. It’s OK to discuss your disease or issues you’re having, but it’s also OK to just hang out and chat.
As we mentioned above, individuals suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease find themselves suddenly cut off from all of their social ties. Often this is self-imposed, as social interactions become awkward, difficult and embarrassing. But in the memory cafe everyone has common ground, so it’s a great place to share experiences, whether it’s laughing over foibles or shedding a tear. Participants can also swap strategies that help to ease symptoms and offer medication tips. This kind of critical information, from the mouths of those who are dealing with the exact same issues, helps ease isolation and provides soul-soothing social interaction.
If you have a loved one who is living with dementia, this is a wonderful resource that is free and can be tapped into anywhere with an internet connection and computer with a working camera and microphone. The most important message the organization sends is that you are not alone.