Dementia Stages
In a nutshell, there are seven basic stages of Dementia that a person goes through. Some stages might linger for years; while others may change very quickly. It is important for you to know about these stages of Dementia and what to expect during each plateau.
STAGE ONE
During this stage there are no memory loss issues that might affect daily living and no signs that the mental health capacity of the senior is disorientating.
STAGE TWO
In the second stage, the patient notices in themselves that they are getting more forgetful (beyond the ordinary). At stage two of Dementia, it is important to take action, and to get a complete physical examination, explaining your memory concerns with your health care professional. This is extremely important, because at this stage your family and friends will not notice these memory changes. Be the advocate of your own health at this early stage before it gets to the point that others notice, and the control of your care and destiny is taken out of your hands.
STAGE THREE
At this point others, close to you, will begin to notice that you are struggling to retain new information, unable to remember common names for household items or the names of your close friends and family members. If you have not seen a health care professional up to this point, now would be the time to go and receive a proper diagnosis and treatment to slow the progression of the disease.
STAGE FOUR
Stage four of Dementia is a moderate decline in thinking on a cognitive level. Some of the symptoms of stage four is the inability to balance a checkbook or maintain household finances (even if they have done it most of their lives). The ability to remember current events or personal history will have declined. At this stage, the patient is still lucid and realizes these lapses in memory and might begin to withdraw and refuse more of their usual social invites.
STAGE FIVE
This stage is the time when cognitive thinking declines to a moderate/severe level. Symptoms at this stage are quite obvious and include, but are not limited to:
- The inability to choose proper clothing for weather conditions or a formal affair (for example: picking out a warm-up suit to wear to a wedding or other formal event).
- Difficulty doing simple mental math (for example: count backwards from 10 by 2’s).
- Remembering their phone number and house address is a struggle and can cause distress and increased confusion.
Within stage five, the patient usually knows their own name and the names of their children and spouse. Assistance with using the bathroom and eating are not usually required at this stage of Dementia.
STAGE SIX
In STAGE SIX of Dementia, where severe memory loss is apparent, some changes in the patients’ personality might show. Changes to be aware of might include becoming delusional, fearful, abusive, or doing things that would be categorized as compulsive behavior. They are not clear about their recent experiences or their surroundings. This is the stage of Dementia where patients might wander from their home, get disorientated and easily lost.
It is very likely that patients at this stage will not be able to recall the proper name of their primary care provider and/or their spouse, however, they should be able to distinguish the difference between the face of a stranger to someone they are familiar and comfortable with.
STAGE SEVEN
The last stage is the hardest to deal with. At this stage, the person suffering from Dementia becomes incapable of properly responding to people or their surroundings in an appropriate manner. Many times they will speak illogically (if at all). In stage seven dressing and proper hygiene become nearly impossible without assistance. This stage of Dementia is where the patient becomes dependent on a caring, compassionate individual as much as an infant is 100% dependent upon the care and love of their parents.
The above stages of Dementia are a black and white synopsis; please remember that everything may not happen and certain stages may be skipped or move so fast that they are undetected.
Preventing and Slowing the Progression of Dementia
Unfortunately, dementia, for the most part, is an incurable disease. However, there are plenty of ways of preventing and slowing the progression of dementia, so your quality of life is more fulfilling and you have the opportunity to share more time with family and friends before this disease takes over your life.
Preventing and slowing the progression of dementia can start with being active in your youth. Doing lots of extracurricular activities (sports, music, social events) will certainly reduce your chances of getting dementia later in life, and these types of interactions and activities will help the brain withstand the minor injuries that our brain incurs over our lifetime
Even before you plan to retire, to possibly side step the symptoms of dementia, it is in your best interest that your daily work brings you in contact with people, preferably a LOT of different types of people. If your jobs requires you to interact with people on a regular basis (a bank teller or cashier or instance) you are more than 30 percent less likely to have to deal with the symptoms of dementia later in life.
During our middle ages, it is also important to remain social and active and read magazines that will keep you updated on the latest trends. The people that did this are 40 percent less likely to develop dementia symptoms compared to people that did not engage in such activities.
Just like muscle atrophy happens to muscles that are not worked out, the brain’s neutrons (cells within the brain) can also die if they are not stimulated or kept active.
Dementia is NOT a normal part of the aging process!
Several research studies have been performed by institutions such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the famous Mayo Clinic showing that mental activity and stimulation protect the brain. Excellent brain stimuli could include jigsaw and crosswords puzzles, attending live theater performances, playing a game of chess, learning a new language or learning to play a musical instrument.
A clinical study performed by the Mayo Clinic found that playing games, reading books on a regular basis, using the computer and doing craft type things (like sewing or knitting) has been documented to reduce the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment by 30 to 50 percent. Also, in the later years of life, if you watched the television less than seven hours within a day you are 50% less likely to have to deal with mild symptoms of cognitive impairment. That is a huge percentage and worth turning off the television for and picking up a book or going out for a walk.
Keeping your body moving with an exercise that you enjoy, and participating in it regularly not only keeps your body in shape but also, your brain. Just 15 minutes a day of non vigorous exercise such as climbing stairs, gardening, house and/or yard work and walking has been proven to lower the chances of developing vascular dementia. It really doesn’t matter the type of exercise you engage in, as long as it is something you enjoy. Some other fun activities such as sculpting, dancing, tai chi and yoga are also believed to increase our brain activity and stimulate new connections and communication between our brain cells.
Many of us are told throughout our lives that we “are what you eat” and it seems to be so; as a well balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids directly affects your brain health in a positive fashion. Folic acid, which is primarily found in dark green vegetables, is an amazing nutrient that can help prevent dementia or slow down the progression of the disease. Fish, eaten regularly has been seen to prevent early onset of dementia as it repairs the miscellaneous, tiny damage that our brain incurs over our normal life span.
Preventing and slowing the progression of dementia can easily be done by keeping your body weight within normal range as it have been documented that people that are obese are three times as more likely to suffer from the symptoms of dementia that people that are thin. Not only will keeping extra pounds off make you feel better all around, it will significantly lower your risk of contracting dementia.
Depression is a killer by itself as it has a negative effect on the brain and speeds up the aging process in the brain. Stay positive as the “power of positive thinking” maintains a healthy brain and can prevent and slow the progression of dementia.
There is no cure for Dementia, but it is strongly believed that people that engage in activities that involve the body and mind equally can prevent, delay the onset or slow the progression of dementia.
