Individuals with dementia may experience memory difficulties, issues with their ability to think, and trouble completing daily tasks. They may be aware of their symptoms in the early stages of dementia. However, a person may lose this awareness by the late stages of dementia.
Some patients merely experience forgetfulness about their state or their condition in its early stages, while some exhibit varying levels of self-awareness and memory loss as their condition progresses. Some will even end up being completely unable to accept their diagnosis or even remember who they are at all.
They may struggle to find words or forget what they want to say. You may feel impatient and wish they could just say what they want, but they can't. The person with Alzheimer's may have problems with: Finding the right word or losing his or her train of thought when speaking.
In the earlier stages, memory loss and confusion may be mild. The person with dementia may be aware of — and frustrated by — the changes taking place, such as difficulty recalling recent events, making decisions or processing what was said by others. In the later stages, memory loss becomes far more severe.
People with dementia think about the same things that any human thinks about — emotions, relationships, daily life, tasks to accomplish, and more. However, dementia can change how you interact with the world because of its physical, mental, and emotional effects.
"Frequent visits and social interactions, exercise, music, dance, jokes, and serving patients their favorite foods are all simple things that can have a lasting emotional impact on a patient's quality of life and subjective well-being."
Common personality and behavior changes you may see include: Getting upset, worried, and angry more easily. Acting depressed or not interested in things. Hiding things or believing other people are hiding things.
Alzheimer disease is a brain disorder that causes memory loss, confusion, and changes in personality, and gradual loss of independence. It is a type the most common type of dementia. At first, people with this disease have only a small amount of memory loss and confusion. This is called cognitive decline.
However, the truth is not always the answer for those with dementia. Lying to dementia patients can be the right way to care for them because: They don't remember the truth and repeatedly telling them or insisting on facts will only cause them distress and pain, especially when it comes to something emotional.
Stage 6: Severe Mental Decline/Moderately Severe Dementia Quality of life: Severe impact. Your loved one will not remember much or any of the past and may not recognize you and other family and friends.
Don't Ask if They Remember Something: When talking with a person who has Alzheimer's, it's so tempting to ask them if they remember some person or event. "What did you have for lunch?" "What did you do this morning?" "Do you remember that we had candy bars when I visited last week?"
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
In general, if a person is aware that they are going for a diagnosis they will be able to make that choice. It is recommended that a person with dementia be told of their diagnosis. However, a person has a right not to know their diagnosis if that is their clear and informed preference.
Older memories – which have been recalled or spoken about more often – are more firmly established than newer memories. This means that a person with dementia may forget recent events, but still be able to recall detailed memories from earlier life.
They may be aware of their symptoms in the early stages of dementia. However, a person may lose this awareness by the late stages of dementia. The term dementia refers to a range of conditions that involve a deterioration in someone's ability to process thoughts.
Refraining from correcting someone with memory loss will not make their dementia worse, or exacerbate their symptoms. You cannot slow the disease by arguing with it, explaining to it, or reasoning. Unfortunately, it will progress. However, refraining from correcting someone may actually alleviate some other symptoms.
Smithson (2014) illustrate how symptoms of dementia can cause shame, making people feel different, afraid of being judged, and influencing withdrawal: 'I forget something silly, that I should have known, it's embarrassing…' (page 55); 'That's quite upsetting when you're trying to think of something and it's not there ...
Recent studies show that in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, semantic memory is affected first. We have seen that even before forgetting their memories of past events, patients show a gradual decline in their general knowledge.
Don't correct, contradict, blame or insist. Reminders are rarely kind. They tell a person how disabled they are – over and over again. People living with dementia say and do normal things for someone with memory impairment.
People living with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.
He or she also may hide items around the house. This behavior can be annoying or even dangerous for the caregiver or family members. If you get angry, try to remember that this behavior is part of the disease.
Change in routine
This means that a sudden disruption in routine may cause dementia symptoms to get worse. This is especially true if a person experiences stress. Some changes that might trigger worsening symptoms include: moving to an assisted living facility or a nursing home.
Many people with dementia become restless and may fidget or pace up and down. They may constantly wring their hands, pull at their clothes or touch themselves inappropriately in public. This could be because of pain or discomfort, needing the toilet, a need for more physical activity or problems with their environment.
Alzheimer's disease does not change a person's need for love and affection, but it changes many aspects of a relationship. You may lose the companionship of someone who has been close and important to you. You'll need to find different ways to express your feelings.