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

Slow down. Very little has to be decided this month.
Get the specific diagnosis. Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, Lewy body and frontotemporal dementia progress differently and respond differently to medication.
Do the legal work now, while capacity is clear. Power of attorney, medical power of attorney, directives.
Call the Area Agency on Aging serving your county. CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions covers every county in this metro -- one call reaches the same agency regardless of which county you are in.
Understand what memory care will require later. Indiana requires a written Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure, not a separate certification -- ask to see it by name when the time comes.

Questions families ask

Who has to report suspected elder abuse in Indiana?

Indiana is a mandatory-reporting state: anyone who suspects neglect, battery, or exploitation of an endangered adult (18 or older, incapacitated, and harmed or threatened) is required to report it, not just healthcare or facility staff.

My parent is being discharged from an Indianapolis hospital in 72 hours. What now?

Ask the case manager for the discharge plan in writing, confirm whether your parent was admitted as an inpatient or held under observation status (only inpatient stays count toward Medicare's skilled-nursing benefit), and ask which facilities have actually accepted the referral -- not just which ones were contacted.

Does Medicare pay for a nursing home stay after a hospitalization?

Medicare covers a limited skilled-nursing-facility stay only after a qualifying inpatient hospital admission, for rehabilitation, not long-term placement. Time spent under observation status does not count, even after multiple nights in a hospital bed -- ask the hospital directly which status applies.

What to do, in order

Questions families ask

Not sure where to start?