Julie has an important message for those tasked with delivering a diagnosis of dementia.

Hello, this is Julie Hayden.
I regularly come across people, newly diagnosed, in an understandable panic. One of the foremost questions on their lips is, “How long have I got?” Clear evidence, if any were needed, that even in the twenty first century, diagnosis is still being delivered in a negative, unsupportive way.
It makes my flesh creep, but even more so because of my friends, living with their Dementia, for the past fifteen to twenty years and still finding that too little has changed. Please, if you are employed in the medical, nursing or social care professions, or work for one of the Dementia charities who still print booklets prophesying incarceration in an institution within five years and death between eight to ten years – stop it! Firstly, you are highly inaccurate. Secondly, you have no right to take away someone’s hope and render them suicidal.
Instead, link them into positive role models of those living with quality despite being diagnosed. There is no better help than being introduced to the appropriate peer support group for that person. Innovations in Dementia can help you with this.
Thank you.