Dementia Stages; Common symptoms experienced by people with dementia syndrome (from the WHO Dementia Report) Early stage: The early stage is often overlooked. Relatives and friends (and sometimes professionals as well) see it as old age, just a normal part of ageing process. Because the onset of the disease is gradual, it is difficult to be sure exactly when it begins. Become forgetful, especially regarding things that just happened May have some difficulty with communication, such as difficulty in finding words Become lost in familiar places Lose track of the time, including time of day, month, year, season Have difficulty making decisions and handling personal finances Have difficulty carrying out complex household tasks Mood and behaviour: may become less active and motivated and lose interest in activities and hobbies may show mood changes, including depression or anxiety may react unusually angrily or aggressively on occasion. Middle stage: As the disease progresses, limitations become clearer and more restricting. Become very forgetful, especially of recent events and peoples names Have difficulty comprehending time, date, place and events; may become lost at home as well as in the community Have increasing difficulty with communication (speech and comprehension) Need help with personal care (i.e. toileting, washing, dressing) Unable to successfully prepare food, cook, clean or shop Unable to live alone safely without considerable support Behaviour changes may include wandering, repeated questioning, calling out, clinging, disturbed sleeping, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things which are not there) May display inappropriate behaviour in the home or in the community (e.g. disinhibition, aggression). Late stage: The last stage is one of nearly total dependence and inactivity. Memory disturbances are very serious and the physical side of the disease becomes more obvious. Usually unaware of time and place Have difficulty understanding what is happening around them Unable to recognize relatives, friends and familiar objects Unable to eat without assistance, may have difficulty in swallowing Increasing need for assisted self-care (bathing and toileting) May have bladder and bowel incontinence Change in mobility, may be unable to walk or be confined to a wheelchair or bed Behaviour changes, may escalate and include aggression towards carer, nonverbal agitation ( kicking, hitting, screaming or moaning) Unable to find his or her way around in the home. Source: World Alzheimer’s Report 2009. London, Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2009.Neurological disorders: public health challenges. WHO, Geneva, 2006. Jotheeswaran AT et al. The predictive validity of the 10/66 dementia diagnosis in Chennai, India: a 3- year follow-up study of cases identified at baseline. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 2010.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:55:28 +0000
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