How to tell your loved ones you have Alzheimer’s disease

If you’re coming to terms with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, you may be wondering how to share the news with your family and friends. Here are a few recommendations.

Prepare yourself
Take some time beforehand to write down your thoughts and decide what you want to say. Hearing about your diagnosis for the first time can be almost as difficult for your loved ones as it was for you. Try to predict how each person might react and prepare a response. Arrange to be in a private, relaxed setting when you reveal your diagnosis to encourage openness and understanding.

Take it slow
You don’t need to go into more detail than you’re comfortable with during the first conversation. Hopefully it’s just the beginning of an ongoing dialogue about your experience with Alzheimer’s. You also don’t want to overwhelm your loved ones with too much information. Give them time to process the diagnosis.

Encourage education
Encourage your family and friends to learn more about Alzheimer’s. Negative reactions or denial following the diagnosis are often due to a lack of understanding about the disease. Ask your doctor for an educational brochure or visit the Alzheimer’s Association website for more information and resources.

Sharing your diagnosis can be difficult, but the support of your loved ones will make it easier to cope with the challenges ahead.