The Stages of Dementia

1. The Stages of Dementia By home care assistance Lancaster

2. Dementia, a degenerative brain condition, is a growing problem for people all around the world. Over 35 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with the condition. Millions more suffer with dementia but have never been diagnosed. While it is primarily a condition associated with the aged, in a growing number of cases people in their 50s and younger primarily in developed countries have begun to show signs of the condition. It's anticipated that by 2050 over 115 million people will suffer with dementia.

3. There are three basic stages of dementia- early, middle, and late. In the early stage, the person experiences memory lapses, becomes easily confused, and often repeats themselves. They also lose track during conversations, have a difficult time remembering words or names, struggle to make decisions, repeat themselves, and have some minor behavior changes. Many are not open to new ideas and become easily agitated and anxious. It is difficult to diagnose the condition at this stage because many people chalk up these issues to being a normal sign of getting older.

4. In the middle stage of dementia, the symptoms become more pronounced. Sufferers begin to forget to eat, use the bathroom, and take showers. It becomes nearly impossible for them to take care of their day-to-day activities without constant reminders. They repeat themselves all the time, are unable to recognize family and friends, mistake one person for another, and lost track of the time of day and day of the week. They also become a danger to themselves and others because the leave stoves and other appliances on. They also experience mood swings, their personality changes radically, and may begin to wander off and be unable to find their way home. At this stage, it's easy to see they have a serious problem.

5. People with late-stage dementia are easy to identify. They lose their memory completely, are often can't speak or otherwise communicate, and are unable to do simple tasks. They regularly have delusions and hallucinations and lose control of their bladder and bowels. At this stage, they become increasingly easily agitated, need assistance to eat, and eventually lose their ability to smile, sit up, or even raise their head. At this point, their brain function is dramatically and irreparably impaired.

6. Some people use the 5-stage Clinical Dementia Rating to quantify dementia’s symptoms severity. Others use the Global Deterioration Scale for Assessment of Primary Degenerative Dementia or Reisberg Scale and its seven stages of cognitive decline. The seven stages of the progression of dementia that measures functioning and daily activities of the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) is another tool. So is the five-stage Clinical Dementia Rating scale that measures one's ability to function and cognitive abilities.

7. Contact us: • Home Care Assistance Lancaster is the most responsible and trustworthy care provider that meets your and your family’s needs when it is the question of providing care for your aged loved one. We take care of our senior citizens with compassion and empathy. • To know more about the services we provide, call us at (717) 540-4663. • Email: support@homecareassistancelancaster.com • Web: http://www.homecareassistancelancaster.com/