If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, you may have heard people talk about the term “stages.” The various stages of dementia are used to demonstrate how the condition has evolved and what is currently happening to their body and mind. Understanding what is happening can help you find the right memory care center for your family members.
The Seven Stages of Dementia
The Global Impairment Scale is a comprehensive tool used by healthcare professionals to evaluate the seven stages of dementia in older adults. GDS helps estimate how rapidly dementia advances in older adults and what symptoms to anticipate throughout each stage of dementia. The seven stages of dementia are further divided into four categories:
- No Dementia
- Early-Stage Dementia
- Mid-Stage Dementia
- Late-Stage Dementia
No Dementia
Stage 1: No Cognitive Impairment
At this point, doctors are unable to detect any indications of dementia. Individuals are mentally healthy and capable of regular functioning.
Stage 2: Very Mild Cognitive Impairment
At this stage, people could forget where they placed familiar items or names they formerly knew well. These symptoms may not be immediately visible to loved ones or a doctor, but caregivers may start to recognize early indicators of memory loss.
Stage 3: Mild Cognitive Impairment
Individuals will undergo minor cognitive impairment in the third stage. The symptoms are somewhat more pronounced and severe in stage 3 compared to stage 2. The usual duration of this period is two to seven years, and it is critical for caregivers to recognize the signs for early detection and intervention.
Early-Stage Dementia
Stage 4: Moderate Cognitive Impairment
Unlike the previous three stages of dementia, it is very easy to find signs of a memory deficit through different examinations. The average duration for this phase is two years, and people at this stage will experience cognitive difficulties, including:
- Decrease in concentration level
- Misplace things often
- Forget the time and date
- Have difficulty recalling well-known names
- Forget about recent events
- Show antisocial behaviors
- Display forgetfulness
- Unable to handle finances
- Unable to venture out on their own
Mid-Stage Dementia
Stage 5: Moderately Severe Cognitive Impairment
This stage, which lasts one and a half years, is critical because individuals can no longer function and conduct basic everyday activities without some kind of support. The symptoms are simpler to diagnose and more visible at stage 5. Patients will have more severe memory deficits in addition to the aforementioned symptoms.
Stage 6: Severe Cognitive Impairment
An individual’s mobility is severely impaired at this stage, and they can no longer perform simple tasks without assistance. This period lasts around two and a half years and shows much more severe symptoms, including:
- Forgetting both present and past events in their life
- Forgetting the names of loved ones
- Increased sleeping issues
- Increased obliviousness to their surroundings
- Having trouble counting down from ten
- Decline in bladder control
- Increased irritability and hostility
- Delusional Behavior
Late-Stage Dementia
Stage 7: Extreme Cognitive Impairment
At this stage, all verbal abilities are lost, and only incoherent words are spoken. It typically lasts between one and a half to two and a half years and includes symptoms like:
- Difficulty eating and swallowing
- Difficulty in walking
- Urinary bladder leakage
- Significant weight loss or gain
- Decline in motor skills
- Speech loss
- Agitation and rage
