{"id":8433,"date":"2023-08-21T08:30:58","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T08:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/?page_id=8433"},"modified":"2025-03-19T17:13:21","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T17:13:21","slug":"breaking-difficult-news-to-a-person-with-dementia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/looking-after-yourself-as-a-carer\/breaking-difficult-news-to-a-person-with-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking difficult news to a person with dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is due to the changes in the brain which occur as a result of dementia. These changes can lead to increased confusion, difficulties in processing information and, in some cases, heightened emotions.<\/p>\n

Families and professionals often struggle with how to break bad news to someone with dementia. This is particularly challenging with situations like the illness or death of a loved one, and made even more difficult for family members if their loved one with dementia forgets that information and have to be told more than once.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When breaking bad news like a death, it is important to think first about the person with dementia and their relationship to the person who has died. If the person was not often in contact with your relative, it may be kindest to not share the news. If it is someone more meaningful, they may already sense that something is wrong through the absence of the person.<\/p>\n

Here are a few suggestions for delivering bad news to someone living with dementia:<\/p>\n