Understanding the Stages of Memory Loss When a Senior Loved One in Eldersburg, MD Has Dementia

Identifying each stage of dementia can help you create a long-term care plan for your senior loved one in Eldersburg, MD and surrounding areas

If you are planning long-term care for a senior loved one who is showing the signs of memory loss, having a better understanding of how dementia progresses will allow you to choose the best course of action regarding their treatment and care in the near future.

These seven stages are based on the widely used Reisberg Scale, developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg at New York University. Here are how these stages differentiate:

Stage 1: Normal/No Cognitive Impairment

Those with no dementia are considered to be in stage 1 – a loved one shows no signs of memory loss or cognitive decline and is considered mentally healthy.

Stage 2: Very Mild Cognitive Impairment

In the second stage, memory loss is so subtle, almost unnoticeable, that it is often mistaken for ordinary age-related forgetfulness. For example, occasionally forgetting names of acquaintances or displacing keys – the kind of thing that can happen to everyone.

Stage 3: Mild Cognitive Impairment

In stage 3, family, relatives, and close friends start noticing cognitive changes in their loved one’s behavior. While a person can pretty much go about their daily routine independently, arising symptoms can clearly be observed. This often includes increased forgetfulness, difficulties with performing certain tasks, high levels of anxiety, as well as overall confusion.

Initial dementia testing typically occurs in this stage. Should you notice anything remotely similar in your loved one, encourage them to get tested promptly.

Stage 4: Moderate Dementia

By this stage, simple tasks such as cooking, homemaking, and shopping become increasingly challenging to accomplish without assistance. Issues with memory continue to intensify while speech and one’s vocabulary may be affected at the same time. Seniors can also be in denial about their cognitive decline or may start to avoid social interaction.

Diagnosis in this stage is fairly accurate.

Stage 5: Moderately Severe Dementia

Seniors entering this stage often need ample assistance from either their primary caregiver or long-term care providers. By this time, dementia has progressed so much that a person is often unable to recall basic information about themselves such as home address, phone number, or the school they attended.

Stage 6: Severe Dementia

During stage 6, full-time, long-term care is a must for most seniors. A person in stage 6 requires help with all sorts of activities, from feeding and medication management to mobility assistance, personal care, toileting, and more. Loved ones with severe dementia may often wander or get lost, frequently forget names of family members, and display paranoid and hostile behavior for no reason.

Stage 7: Very Severe Dementia

As mobility, speech and the ability to eat independently become severely affected, patients in the final stage of dementia need long-term care provided by trained professionals. By this stage, symptoms often include loss of awareness for people and one’s surroundings, loss of speech, and loss of basic motor controls such as controlling facial expressions.

If you notice any of the changes outlined above, make sure your loved one gets tested immediately. Early detection is the key to managing dementia’s progression. It will also provide your family with more time to plan your approach to caregiving as best as you can.

At Visiting Angels Eldersburg, we’ve provided quality dementia care for seniors in Eldersburg, Westminster, Baltimore, Ellicott City, Columbia, Randallstown and surrounding areas in Maryland for many years, so we can provide both short and long-term care solutions that will allow your loved one to safely and comfortably age in place.

Call our Eldersburg, MD office to learn how our dementia care services can help your loved one.