Reading about progressive and permanent dementia can be confusing. Some claim that all dementias are progressive, while others identify specific dementias as permanent. To understand the difference, it helps to realize that progressive dementias are on a path towards permanence.
Vascular dementia is progressive and will ultimately be permanent.
This debilitating form of dementia affects not only memory but also a person's ability to think, reason, and make decisions. The progressive nature of vascular dementia poses challenges for caregivers, family members, friends, and even in casual interactions with shopkeepers or medical providers. Only the caregiver experiences the daily changes in the patient, integrating them into everyday life.
For others, unexpected minor or major changes require constant readjustment of expectations and interactions with the dementia patient. Unfortunately, some may find this effort overwhelming and slowly distance themselves, leaving caregivers to face the challenges of caring for their loved ones with less support.
Other progressive/permanent dementias
Here are some of the more common sources of progressive/permanent dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Fronto-temporal dementia, Vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease dementia.
Certain dementias start as permanent
These non-progressive dementias involve a cognitive change that remains stable over time. Examples include the following: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Anoxia (lack or absence of oxygen), and Vascular dementia resulting from a single stroke.