Navigating life after diagnosis: Insights from people with early-stage dementia.

Abstract

Receiving an Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis is widely understood as a life-changing event, that is, one that challenges not only memory and cognition but one's sense of identity and agency. By centering the voices of those affected and aligning findings with socioemotional selectivity and continuity theories, the study by Gamm et al. offers valuable insights into individualized care strategies and the importance of emotional resilience and identity preservation in early-stage AD. This commentary situates the study within the broader landscape of dementia care, highlighting its clinical implications for supporting agency, emotional well-being, and identity preservation. It also aims to critically reflect on how coping responses are interpreted in the original study and to advocate for a more nuanced understanding of emotional adaptation in early-stage dementia.