Living with dementia in rural areas has distinct challenges. It can be difficult to find resources, or they might be a distance away. It can be hard to know how to share the diagnosis of dementia with neighbors and your community. It can also be hard to find others who are living with dementia.
In our conversations with those living with younger onset Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia and their caregivers from rural communities, here are issues shared:
- How do you recognize the beginning symptoms?
- What are the first steps when recognizing a problem or after a diagnosis?
- Lack of resources in area
- Lack of transportation
- How do you get support?
- How does nutrition have an impact?
- What are ways to find positive activities?
- How do you prevent falls?
- Where do you find care in the home?
- How do you find residential care?
If you are living in a rural community and living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia in Illinois, we would like to hear from you. What are issues, concerns or experiences you would want to share with others in our state? The same is true if you are a caregiver to someone living with dementia. What would you want to share with others?