the diagnosis
Does the type of diagnosis change what I should do?
3 min read
It can, and this app is not the place to find out. What a particular diagnosis means for your situation is a question for the team who made it — they have assessed the person in front of you and this app has not. What you can do here is prepare for that conversation and get an answer you can act on.
What to try
- 1Ask the diagnosing team to write down the diagnosis, and ask them what it means in practice for the next year.
- 2Write your three biggest day-to-day difficulties on a piece of paper before the appointment, and take it with you.
- 3Ask who to contact when something changes, and how quickly they expect to hear about it.
- 4Ask whether there is a dementia nurse or care navigator you can reach between appointments.
What to avoid
- Treating anything you read — here or anywhere else — as a description of the person you care for.
- Waiting for the next scheduled appointment when something has changed.
Why this article is short
It used to describe several named diagnoses and what each one tends to do. That is medical information about a real person, presented by an app that has never met them, and it is exactly the kind of thing this product no longer does. Asking the team who assessed them is not a fobbing-off — it is the only place a reliable answer exists.
Getting more out of the appointment
- Ask for the name of the diagnosis in writing.
- Ask what to expect over the next year, in plain words.
- Ask what would count as a reason to contact them urgently.
- Ask what support exists for you, not only for them.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Not checked against published guidance. Treat this as a starting point and confirm anything important with a professional.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.