Understanding the Different Stages of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Needs

Discovering that you or your loved one has Alzheimer’s, or any other source of dementia, can send many thoughts through your mind. What should you do, what will this mean for the future, what adjustments are necessary, and more. The diagnosis is understandably overwhelming for the recipient and anyone close to them. Depending on what stage someone is at, they may benefit from professional care as soon as possible.

If you think you or a loved one may benefit from at-home dementia care, contact us. We will work to match you with the right at-home care professionals. If you would rather learn more first, read below.

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care 101

For those who have never known anyone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, there may be confusion surrounding what sets this specific care apart from other forms. To understand the difference, it is important to understand these diseases first.

Alzheimer’s is a specific disease that causes dementia due to the ongoing brain damage it causes. Dementia—though often synonymous with memory loss—is a term for a group of symptoms which encompass various aspects of cognitive decline. 

Care strategies for people with these diagnoses entails a care professional with a deeper knowledge of these diseases, as well as methods to lessen symptom severity. The Alzheimer’s Association provides a useful breakdown of these stages that we will use to help you understand care needs at every step of the way. 

It is important to keep in mind that these stages are general guidelines, not hard boundaries, for disease progression. There can be a fair bit of overlap amongst stages depending on how far the disease has progressed.

Early-Stage—Will Alzheimer Care Be Necessary?

Someone in this stage of the disease may remain undetected/undiagnosed, especially if they are the first in the family to develop it. Even people who know what to look for could end up missing this stage and the opportunity to start dementia care early. 

In this stage you might see:

• Trouble with higher order tasks like complex work functions, social situations, planning out actions, or organizing thoughts.
• Difficulty with word retrieval, typically mid-sentence. This will happen with names as well, especially those of new people.
• Reading and immediately forgetting what was just read.
• Losing items frequently that were never an issue before (wallet, keys, etc.).

In this stage, care would be relatively hands-off. One of the main concerns would be ensuring the care recipient’s independence is preserved as much as possible. The type of care that is most helpful in this stage would be helping the recipient stay up to date with any pressing needs, as well as getting any treatment necessary to slow disease progression.

Middle-Stage—What Carers for Dementia Can Do to Help

This stage is the longest out of the three, which is why you may see overlap between stages. At this point, someone might experience:

• Memory loss, including personal information (address, phone number, etc.), important events, current location, the day of the week, and more.
• Changes in mood and personality, due to damage to the frontal lobe.
• Trouble with activities of daily living, including going to the bathroom (due to bladder and bowel issues), getting dressed, cooking, and bathing.

While not everyone in this stage will need 24-hour care, they will likely benefit from it. At-home dementia care in this stage would focus on preserving quality of life through support of daily self-maintenance tasks.

One exceptional care option is ComForCare’s DementiaWise program. This program offers extensive support to individuals suffering from dementia, regardless of what type. Another aspect that makes it unique is the support it provides family members as well; our staff provides family members with education on dementia and its symptoms, as well as strategies on how to cope with this significant change.

Late-Stage—How to Care for Dementia Patients with Advanced Disease Progression

When Alzheimer’s or dementia enters the late stage, it usually indicates that there is now extensive brain damage. This typically correlates to significant impairment, such as:

• Cognitive withdrawal; people at this stage may begin to lose awareness of their surroundings or current reality.
• Physical decline in ability and their immune system.
• Trouble with speech and swallowing.

People at this stage should have consistent, round-the-clock care. The priority should be the care recipient’s comfort, which is why many loved ones also look into palliative care options.

Finding At-Home, Long-Term Care for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients That You Can Trust

If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s or dementia, staying vigilant and proactive are your best ways of ensuring you can identify and address a diagnosis quickly. If your family is going through the changes of a recent diagnosis, it's common to be overwhelmed with what to do next.

At ComForCare, we know how to make this transition easier on both you and your diagnosed loved one. Contact us today to discuss your care options – let’s start making a plan that works best for you or your loved one.