“I’ve just received a dementia diagnosis, what now?”

Being diagnosed with dementia can be a confusing and overwhelming time for many people. 

However, you don’t have to face it alone. Catherine, Tim and Lyn share their experience of reaching out to Dementia Australia to find support following a dementia diagnosis. 

“Dementia Australia has been a great comfort for me” 

Catherine described her recent diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease as completely unexpected.  

“I was going through menopause so put my symptoms down to that,” she said.  

“After getting through the trauma and feeling of ‘why me?’, the first thing I did with my husband was go online to Dementia Australia.  

“Dementia Australia has been a great comfort for me. The people that I have come in contact with there, my counsellor and support specialist, have helped me every step of the way. 

“I think what I’ve done has been the best thing for me and my family. I cried a lot and still do, but I am dealing with it now.” 

Catherine also decided to become a Dementia Advocate, so she could use her experience of living with dementia to make a difference. 

“It’s really helped me to reach out to other people,” she said.  
 

“I just felt lost” 

Tim said that when his wife Carol was diagnosed with dementia in 2022 they initially found it difficult to find information. 

“I just felt lost,” Tim said. “It wasn’t until I found Dementia Australia that everything started to fall into place. 

“Since then, both of us have been on a number of programs with Dementia Australia, including the Peer Support (Connecting Peers) and Living with Dementia programs, and we have a much greater understanding of what it’s all about, what we can expect and what we can do. 

“The incredible thing about it is that it’s free of charge.” 
 

“It’s a couple’s diagnosis – not just the person who’s been diagnosed” 

When Lyn’s husband Michael was diagnosed with dementia five years ago, it impacted them both in a number of ways. 

“I was absolutely stunned,” Lyn said. “I suspected it [the diagnosis] but it’s still a shock when you hear it from the doctor’s mouth. 

“It’s a couple’s diagnosis, it’s not just the person who’s been diagnosed. My husband was in denial for a long time and still occasionally is.” 

Lyn said she wished she had contacted Dementia Australia sooner. 

“It’s so refreshing when you’re talking to people who know what you’re going through and can give you tips on how to cope with little things that are annoying you,” Lyn said. 

“I found them invaluable and if any of my friends need help, that’s where I send them.”  

What our Helpline Advisors suggest 

We asked our Helpline Advisors what advice they would give to a caller who wants to know what to do following a diagnosis.  

“We often hear of people who have just been given a diagnosis and sent on their way. Not everyone is Google savvy, and they are just left with that news and they don’t know who to talk to about it or what it even means for them.   

“The National Dementia Helpline is such a valuable service just to be a place for them to call and talk to someone, to get that information and support. We let them know that they are no different today than they were yesterday.”  

If you have received a dementia diagnosis, Dementia Australia can support you as well as your family and loved ones.  

You can call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.