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We just got a dementia diagnosis

What to do in the first month, and what can wait longer than you think.

Quick answer

What to do in the first month, and what can wait longer than you think.

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Home›By Situation›We just got a dementia diagnosis

The first month after a diagnosis is mostly about slowing down. Very little has to be decided immediately.

Short answer

What to do in the first month, and what can wait longer than you think.

What to do, in order

  1. Slow down. Very little has to be decided this month.
  2. Get the specific diagnosis. Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, Lewy body and frontotemporal dementia progress differently and respond differently to medication.
  3. Do the legal work now, while capacity is clear. Power of attorney, medical power of attorney, directives.
  4. Call the Area Agency on Aging serving your county. Triangle J/Central Pines for Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham, Johnston or Lee; Kerr-Tar for Franklin; Mid-Carolina for Harnett.
  5. Understand what memory care will require later. North Carolina requires a Special Care Unit disclosure statement under G.S. 131D-8, not a separate certification.

Questions families ask

What's the process for reporting elder abuse in Chatham County, and what hospital serves Pittsboro and Siler City?

In Chatham County, suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an older or disabled adult should be reported to Chatham County DSS Adult Services, since Adult Protective Services in North Carolina is administered at the county level; call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. For hospital care, Siler City in western Chatham is served by Chatham Hospital, part of the UNC Health system, while Pittsboro-area residents in eastern Chatham are typically within 20-30 minutes of both UNC Health facilities in Chapel Hill and Duke Health facilities in Durham. Chatham County falls under the Central Pines/Triangle J Area Agency on Aging (1-800-310-9777) for general aging services and options counseling.

My parents are considering retirement communities near Pittsboro — what's the draw of that specific area?

Pittsboro and eastern Chatham County have become a popular retirement destination in the Triangle largely because of established large-scale retirement communities like Fearrington Village and Galloway Ridge, combined with reasonable access — roughly 20-30 minutes — to both UNC Health in Chapel Hill and Duke Health in Durham for specialist and hospital-level care. Chatham Hospital, the county's local UNC Health-affiliated facility in Siler City, is further from Pittsboro but still within the same health system network. Families should still verify a specific community's current licensing status and any inspection history through NC DHSR's facility search tools before committing, regardless of the community's reputation.

Franklin County seems to have a different Area Agency on Aging than the rest of the Triangle — why, and what's the contact number?

Correct — unlike Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston, Chatham, and Harnett counties, which are all covered by the Central Pines Regional Council (Triangle J), Franklin County is served by a different regional agency, the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, reachable at 1-866-506-6223. Kerr-Tar also covers Granville, Person, and Vance counties. Franklin County residents should use this Kerr-Tar contact for aging services referrals, options counseling, and the regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program rather than the Central Pines number used elsewhere in the Triangle.

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