The symptoms of dementia tend to worsen with time.
In much later stages of dementia, people will be able to do far less for themselves and may lose much of their ability to communicate. You might come across different ways of explaining the stages of dementia depending on who has conducted the study.
We will focus on the 3 main stages of dementia, these are
Live independently
Drive
Work
Socialise
This stage is usually the longest and can last for many years. As the disease progresses, a person will need more support.In the final stage, people progressively lose the ability to engage in the world, to hold conversations and control their muscles. They are likely to experience severe memory loss. They may be able to talk but communication and expressing thoughts becomes difficult.
They will probably rely on others for much of their care.
It is really important to remember that each person with dementia is an individual.
They may not fit into a specific stage or the stage they are in may overlap with another stage.
People with dementia sometimes feel afraid or anxious.
Some people with dementia become anxious as a result of mixing up things from the past with those from the present. For example, worrying about the children coming home safely from school but their children are now adults. There are also the worries and fears which many of us have, such as those concerning the future.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to determine the exact cause of anxiety or fear.
You may feel distressed at seeing the person with dementia worried or afraid.
You might feel helpless as a result of not knowing what to do. You may not be able to determine the cause of the stress and you don’t necessarily need this information in order to be able to help. You can still offer reassurance and empathy.
End of Life Planning
Knowing the stages of dementia will help with planning for the future which is important for anyone who has a life limiting condition. For a person with dementia, it is important to have these conversations as early as possible, while they can make decisions for themselves.
Our End of Life Care Course
If you haven’t taken this course already and you are working with people as they near the end of their lives, this is a highly recommended course.
We suggest you add it to your Personal Development Plan.
It is important to know and understand an individual’s values, wishes and beliefs while these can still be communicated.
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