Stages of dementia and Alzheimer's and levels of care

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. It is important to note that dementia is not a part of normal aging; it is a disease. Dementia is an impairment of memory, communication, and thinking. This is why accepting that a loved one has dementia can be so difficult. Dementia includes many cognitive loss conditions like Alzheimer's, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, and Frontal Temporal Dementia. The stages below show which symptoms to look out for and actions to be prepared for at each stage: 

Stage 1: Mild

Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is the self-reported experience of worsening or more frequent confusion or memory loss. It is a form of cognitive impairment and one of the earliest noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. At this point, your loved one has a regular function, little to no memory loss, and no signs of dementia. Upon hearing about potential memory decline, it is good to see a physician and talk about what you can do to slow down the disease.

Stage 2: Moderate 

When symptoms increase and the individual experiences more forgetfulness, decreased work performance, and/or frequent wandering, it's time to take more action. That starts with researching care options for the future, including home care and memory care.

Action: start researching care options. 

Stages 3: Severe 

When your loved one begins to show signs of significant memory deficiency—forgetting important information such as name, faces of family members, past events—has difficulty speaking, show personality and emotional changes, experiences delusions, cannot communicate, requires help with daily activities, or loses motor skills, it is the time to consider moving love your one into a memory facility.

Dementia and Alzheimer's affect people in different ways, with each person progressing through the stages differently, and in some cases, stages appear to overlap. It is up to the family to speak to their loved ones and their loved one's physician to determine the best care options at each stage. By researching communities that tailor services to the needs of your loved one, you can make sure you are prepared for each stage as it comes.