Most often, when Megan McCartney or Wanda Wilcox has a conversation with somebody about dementia, that conversation is the result of a crisis.

Sometimes the crisis occurred when a loved one had forgotten a kettle on the stove or had wandered away from home or been involved in a car accident. In most cases, those crises could have averted if family members had begun talking about their loved one’s dementia earlier.

In an effort to begin the conversation sooner, Wilcox and McCartney are hosting a “Dementia Information Night” at Chase Point Assisted Livng on the Miles Campus of LincolnHealth Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.

McCartney, an occupational therapist at LincolnHealth, works with family members to help them make the home safer for people with dementia and to better understand how to handle behavioral issues that are sometimes associated with dementia such as anxiety, or wandering or aggression.

Wilcox, executive director at Chase Point, saw her father, George “Poger” Russell, develop dementia. She watched as her mother struggled to care for her father, who remained strong and active into his 80s.

McCartney will explain the neurological processes that cause the behavioral changes associated with the disease. She will also explain how services available from LincolnHealth can help people with dementia live longer at home with better quality of life and help them make the best possible use of their cognitive skills.

Wilcox will discuss the signs that indicate a need for more help and what services are available to help care for a loved one at home. She will also discuss when a move to a facility with specialized care should be considered.

In large part, however, the direction of the discussion will be determined by participants’ questions.

In the past, dementia has carried a heavy stigma. Today, as medical science makes progress on therapies that can slow the progress of the disease, there are increasing reasons for families to be open about diagnosing the disease as early as possible.

Diagnosing dementia at an early stage can ease the burden on families’ by making it possible to plan for the future and to investigate therapies that can ease symptoms and possibly slow the progress of the disease. Maintaining connections with family members and friends can also ease the burden on caregivers and improve quality of life for the person with dementia.

Both McCartney and Wilcox often hear from people who have noticed changes in a friend’s appearance, or the way their home looks.

They want to know,” What is it OK to do, how can I help,” said MCartney. The answer is there are many things friends and family can do, said Wilcox.

“When you get a diagnosis of dementia your world becomes smaller, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If everybody rallies around the person with dementia, that can really extend their life and quality of life,” said Wilcox.

For more information, call Wanda Wilcox at 563-4200 or Megan McCartney at 563-4518.