Should I Get Involved in Helping a Neighbor With Dementia?

If you have a neighbor that is getting forgetful and a bit up there in age, you may worry for them. Maybe even wonder if there is anything that you can do for them, especially if they live alone. But there are many things to ask yourself before intervening into another person’s very personal dilemma.

• Has the person received an actual diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s? A person “being forgetful” is a large step away from having a degenerative cognitive disability.
• Are you very familiar with the person or more akin to a stranger? Though kindness from a stranger may appear sweet, some people are not comfortable speaking about such a severe diagnosis with a person they do not know.
• If the person is diagnose and is willing to speak with you, you can let the individual know that there are things they can do to prepare for further decline, such as making their home safer.
• Talk with the person about discussing their situation with their family, if they have anyone that may assist them.
• Ask yourself if you want to be placed in the position of a demanding relationship. If the person is, sadly, alone in the world, you may be putting quite a bit of weight on your shoulders. The more you do for them the more they may expect from you and inevitably rely on you.

See Kwame Anthony Appiah, Should I Get Involved in Helping a Neighbor With Dementia?, New York Times, April 23, 2019.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.