| 203 8 a general practitioner (GP) perspective as they tend to focus on making a diagnosis when it is timely from the perspective of the patient (4). Seeking help for cognitive problems and receiving a diagnosis of dementia can be a complicated process. The diagnostic process is an active process that requires people with cognitive problems to acknowledge that they have cognitive problems and identify the appropriate sources and types of support to address their help-seeking questions (5). People may encounter barriers to seeking help, such as fear and stigma surrounding dementia (6). In Chapter 2 we highlighted that healthcare professionals’ reactions to symptoms and communication impacted on the preferences of people with cognitive complaints (specifically their beliefs on the necessity of testing). In Chapter 3 it was identified that healthcare professionals utilize communication as a tool to guide people from a diagnosis to support. A lack of knowledge and information about dementia is one of the main barriers to seeking and receiving a diagnosis (7, 8). To briefly summarize, a timely dementia diagnosis is essential as it facilitates the use of and access to support services. A diagnosis tailored to the individual’s readiness and need for support fosters better engagement with the healthcare system and support services. However, seeking and receiving a diagnosis is often challenging due to a lack of knowledge and information about dementia. Seeking and accessing post-diagnostic support After a dementia diagnosis, people often seek support to help them live well with dementia. Health literacy is important in seeking and accessing support and is defined as the combination of personal competencies and situational resources needed to access, understand, appraise and use information and services to make decisions about health (9). Health literacy in dementia is not static but rather is a dynamic concept in which needs change over time as dementia progresses and new ‘symptoms’ may arise (10). Poor health literacy of informal caregivers is linked to increased risk of more severe dementia for the person with dementia whereas increased health literacy improves their ability to provide informal care and self-efficacy (11-13). In addition, appropriate uptake of information can reduce caregiver burden and enhance wellbeing (14, 15). Although informal caregivers’ health literacy is important, relatively few studies address the health literacy of people with dementia. This is of vital importance as knowledge and information may empower them to make informed care
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