The 7 Stages of Dementia

THE STAGES

STAGE ONE: It all starts at stage 1. The symptoms of cognitive impairment are not present, mental function is normal.

STAGE TWO:

This stage may vary between typical age-related memory issues faced by most seniors (such as forgetting certain dates), or may include some of the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the side effects which match this stage include:

• Forgetting everyday phrases
• Forgetting where important objects are located (such as where your dad left his keys)

STAGE THREE:

Stage 3 is where dementia or Alzheimer’s symptoms can become more noticeable to friends and family alike. This stage won’t have a major impact on the daily life of your loved one, but these signs may be noticeable:

• Impaired performance at work
• Loss of memory / Forgetfulness
• Verbal reiteration
• Poor organization and concentration 
• Trouble solving complex tasks / problems
• Driving difficulty

STAGE FOUR:

This stage is commonly defined early onset Alzheimers or Dementia.  Symptoms of cognitive decline are obvious and a health care professional should see your loved one. At this stage the signs include:

• Putting off social interactions 
• Moodiness
• Non-responsive
• Trouble with routine tasks
• Denial

STAGE FIVE:

Stage 5 is when your loved one is likely to need help with routine tasks such as dressing or bathing, requiring a caregiver at home or a move to a community that specializes in memory care. Additional symptoms include:

• Confusion / Forgetfulness 
• Loss of memory of personal details and actual events
• Reduced mental acuity, and capacity to solve problems

STAGE SIX: Also known as middle dementia or moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease, this stage will find your loved one requiring assistance for Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), such as bathroom use or eating. Also, your loved one may experience sleeping difficulties, increased paranoia or delusions, anxiety, and difficulty in recognizing loved ones.

STAGE SEVEN: Stage 7 is the severe Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia in the late stage. Your loved one can not care for himself, lives with severe impairment in motor and communication and may lose the ability to speak or walk. (Stewart, 2019)

List of Stages

1. No impairment

2. Very mild cognitive decline

3. Mild cognitive decline

4. moderate cognitive decline

5. Moderately severe cognitive decline

6. Severe cognitive decline

7. Very severe cognitive decline

what is dementia?

The word ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms which may include memory loss and thinking , problem-solving or language difficulties. These changes are often small to begin with but they have become severe enough to affect daily life for someone with dementia. A person with dementia may also experience mood or behavioural changes. (What is Dementia, 2018)

Dementia is caused when illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes damage the brain. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease but not the only one.The specific symptoms that someone experiencing dementia will depend on the damaged parts of the brain and the dementia-causing illness. (What is Dementia, 2018)

Examples of causes of dementia

• Alzheimer’s Disease – This is the most common cause of dementia. An abnormal protein in, Alzheimer’s disease, surrounds brain cells and another protein damages its internal structure. Chemical connections between brain cells are lost over time, and cells start to die. Day-to-day memory problems are often the first thing to notice, but other symptoms may include difficulties in finding the right words, solving problems , making decisions, or perceiving three-dimensional things. (What is Dementia, 2018)

• Vascular dementia – If the supply of oxygen to the brain is reduced due to blockage or narrowing of the blood vessels, some brain cells become damaged or die. This occurs in vascular dementia. The symptoms may occur suddenly, after a major stroke. Or they can develop over time, owing to a number of small strokes. Vascular dementia, also known as subcortical vascular dementia, can be caused by disease affecting the small blood vessels that are deep within the brain. Vascular dementia symptoms vary, and may overlap with Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Many people have problems with problem-solving or planning, quick thinking and focusing. (What is Dementia, 2018)

• Dementia with Lewy bodies – This type of dementia involves the formation of small, abnormal structures (Lewy bodies) within brain cells. They disrupt brain chemistry and lead to brain cell death. Early symptoms may include alertness varying over the course of the day, hallucinations, and distance-judging difficulties. The daily memory of a person usually gets less affected than in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia with Lewy bodies is closely linked to Parkinson’s disease, and often has some of the same symptoms, including movement difficulty. (What is Dementia, 2018)

References

Stewart, K. (2019, April 17). What are the 7 Stages of Dementia?: Aegis Living. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.aegisliving.com/resource-center/the-stages-of-caregiving-the-changes-you-will-face-with-dementia/

What is dementia? (2018, July 17). Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/what-dementia