Houston Assisted Living: The 7 Stages Of Dementia 

When someone is said to have dementia, their “stage” is always mentioned. Stages are markers that indicate how the disease has progressed. Symptoms for this illness run the gamut, from periodic memory loss to cognitive hardships that are so disruptive to life that sufferers can no longer care for themselves without assistance. Dementia symptoms are put into groups, or stages, to allow families, caretakers and healthcare professionals to deal with the disease on an actionable basis. If you or your loved one are in need of Assisted Living Houston services keep on reading.

The Seven Stages Of Dementia

Dementia is generally talked about in terms of chronic memory loss that ultimately affects life quality. Memory loss is seen as happening at varying points on a line. One person with dementia may walk down that line sooner than others, so it’s not always easy to understand when your relative or loved one has moved further along. Some days they will behave “better”, and some days they will have a harder time living life in the way that they used to. They may seem to exhibit big changes at times, and there may be entire periods when there seems to be no change at all. Dementia care and Houston assisted living support may be something you should take into account for your loved one. All the same, understanding dementia stages can be meaningful, helping you and everyone to be able to talk about and care for a loved one in the same way:

1-Zero Impairment Dementia

In the first stage of the disease, there are no visible signs of it. People can still behave independently and can function normally.

2-Very Mild Dementia

In this stage, dementia can start to appear as simple forgetfulness. You may think “oh, they’re getting old.” Symptoms aren’t constant and are not noticeable or alarming. Losing and finding keys after some minutes is an example of this stage.

3-Mild Dementia

The third stage of dementia is when people begin to realize that the forgetfulness is a sign of something more. A person can still use the toilet, dress, and put themselves to bed without trouble. However, relatives may notice:

• Repetition
• Memory loss and forgetfulness
• Losing objects and not finding them after retracing steps
• The trouble with arithmetic, balancing money or checkbooks
• Driving confusion
• Inability to concentrate
• Problems taking medications or remembering to take them

4-Moderate Dementia

This is when people can no longer do things that they’re used to doing. Laundry, placing phone calls and cooking could become difficult. More symptoms are:

• Incontinence
• Worsening memory
• Difficulty using proper phrases and vocabulary
• Heightened social withdrawal
• Inability to do math exercises that are not simple, like counting backward by five numbers

5-Moderately Severe Dementia

At this stage, dementia sufferers require help with daily activities. At this point symptoms are:

• Significant memory loss where they cannot remember their own phone number, address and personal information
• Problems with a chain of events or where they are
• More difficulty with even simple math equations
• Inability to dress properly for weather or events

6-Severe Dementia

In Stage 6 dementia, caregivers will be doing much more. People will show signs like:

-Need for dressing assistance
-Need for going to the toilet, including flushing or wiping
-Getting lost, leaving the house or wandering
-Difficulty recognizing faces of certain people
-Difficulty sleeping
-Behavior changes, such as extreme paranoia or visual or auditory hallucinations

7-Very Severe Dementia

In this last stage of dementia, symptoms worsen even further. They could include:

• Inability to speak
• Inability to recognize the location
• Inability to eat without assistance
• No control with toileting
• Loss of control of muscles so that the person cannot swallow, smile or walk unassisted

To properly diagnose what stage your loved one is experiencing, their physician will ask a battery of questions of both you and your relative. Mental tests are performed, including the screening exam known as “Mini-Mental State Exam”. This test has 11 questions and will result in a number between 0 and 30 which will point to the level of cognitive decline. Typically, if your relative scores anywhere between 14 and 26, they’re seen as having mild to moderate dementia. A lower score of 4 to 14 indicates severe dementia. Keep in mind that these stages can be fluid. They’re used for future planning and medication purposes and your relative may behave better or worse than a stage would suggest. Work with doctors to come up with the best plan for your loved one. Houston assisted living services may be something you should take into consideration.

To speak with a professional senior in-home care specialist contact us today by calling right away. 

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