Seven Stages of Dementia
Dementia is a term that describes a group of symptoms affecting cognitive functions, such as memory, thinking, reasoning, and language. Dementia can have different causes, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Dementia progresses in stages, from mild to severe, and affects the person's ability to function independently and perform daily activities.
(In the following list the dementia stages are in italics:
the remaining information for each stage are my impressions.)
According to the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg in 1982, there are seven stages of dementia:
- Stage 1: No cognitive decline. The person functions normally and does not show any signs of memory loss or cognitive impairment.
However, it is possible that problems are beginning to form in the brain. Many times, it could cause someone to take longer to resolve a problem or create a project outline. The end product may still reflect the high-functioning ability of the person.
- Stage 2: Very mild cognitive decline. The person experiences occasional lapses of memory, such as forgetting names or where they keep familiar objects. The symptoms are unlikely to affect the person's work or social interactions.
It is possible to overlook any of the occurrences because everyone will experience the occasional memory lapse. Forgetting a person’s name may just be because the initial introduction was in a very loud environment. However, frequently forgetting the names of familiar people is a red flag and should be looked in to. This may be the point where either the affected individual or a family member should start keeping a journal of the worrisome instances.
- Stage 3: Mild cognitive decline. The person starts to show noticeable signs of cognitive impairment, such as getting lost in unfamiliar places, having difficulty finding words, or repeating questions. The symptoms may affect the person's performance at work or in social situations.
Again, getting lost in an unfamiliar place can happen to anyone. There needs to be careful consideration of the environment, the crowded space, signage or lack of signage, noises, alcohol, or prescription drug reactions. So many things can cause confusion and should not be considered an absolute amateur diagnosis of dementia. Documenting the occurrence in a journal is a valuable tool to provide to a doctor who can help direct your search for proper medical help.
- Stage 4: Moderate cognitive decline. The person has clear deficits in memory and cognition, such as forgetting recent events, having trouble with complex tasks, or showing poor judgment. The person may need assistance with some aspects of daily living, such as managing finances or traveling.
Depending on what has been occurring during the previous three stages, this stage may progress smoothly or not. Has the patient been cooperative during the previous stages? Has he or she been part of the discussion? Have treatments started? Has everyone been open and honest about what is happening?
- Stage 5: Moderately severe cognitive decline. The person has major gaps in memory and cognition, such as forgetting their own address, phone number, or personal history. The person may need help with basic activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, or eating.
At this point, even the most loving caregiver needs help. There is no way to disguise what is going on, and there is no way to hide the toll being taken by the caregiver. Friends and family must step up. Respite of only a few hours can make a big difference for the person who has been functioning with little sleep and has had no ability to relax.
- Stage 6: Severe cognitive decline. The person has severe deterioration of memory and cognition, such as forgetting the names of close family members, having difficulty recognizing familiar faces, or experiencing delusions or hallucinations. The person may need constant supervision and care for most activities of daily living.
Read the information for both the sixth and seventh stage. They seem to be almost the same, varying only in severity. There are stories of spouses who have continued to care for a loved one right up to the very end of the patient’s life. But at what cost to the caregiver? Be very careful. At this stage, the end is obvious to everyone. There is no reversal of the symptoms, and you cannot be certain that you will know how to care for someone who is in this stage and then in the last, final stage.
- Stage 7: Very severe cognitive decline. The person has profound loss of memory and cognition, such as being unable to communicate verbally, respond to their environment, or control their movements. The person may be bedridden or in a vegetative state.
Dementia is an evil disease. That’s all I can say. Evil.