‎"Human costs of concealing a dementia diagnosis", by Swapna Kishore (excerpts), 2012.

“The Indian Caregiver’s Corner” :

This section is made in part, to explain theoretically the different aspects of Alzheimer’s Disease, the patients and caregivers have to face worldwide… like the impairment process, the different disorders: memory, language, organization… changes in personality and behavior…. But also, the impact of the pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions like socialization, meditation, physical exercise, the caregiver’s role and difficulties encountered in India. 

Readers are invited to enrich this section to make it an experience-based one, a resourceful section for other caregivers to find there helpful tips/ways to cope with the symptoms, the daily care activities and to face specific situations in their local setting, at home, outside, with family, doctors….

"Human costs of concealing a dementia diagnosis", Swapna Kishore, Swapna Writes, March 4, 2012. 

....."Doctors sometimes debate on whether or not they should inform patients / their families that the patient has an irreversible dementia. Some feel that since there is no cure for dementia there is no point in communicating the diagnosis (they feel it would be disheartening, or pointless). Others are confused on what is right (to tell or not tell).

Here’s a fact worth considering: knowing a diagnosis doesn’t just enable a patient to get medical treatment; it also helps everyone concerned to see the patient’s behaviour and deterioration in the proper context and make changes to improve the overall quality of life.

The fact is that the patient may be worried about what is happening to his/ her memory, abilities, emotions; the patient may be scared, isolated, angry, unable to cope.

The fact is that the behaviour of dementia patients, if not understood, often also bewilders and hurts people around the patient. Families undergo emotional pain and conflict."....

.....‎"Regarding dementia: 

maybe if many patients and families describe how knowing the diagnosis improved their quality of life significantly (even though dementia cannot be cured), more doctors will appreciate that patients and families are stakeholders who need to know what is happening.

They may evolve appropriate ways to convey the diagnosis and related information, discuss these, refine them. 

And maybe even create, as a community, suitable guidance that all doctors will conform to. Definitely the patients and famililes would be better off for it." 

Link: http://swapnawrites.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/human-costs-of-concealing-a-dementia-diagnosis/

‎