As of 2017, the number of people struggling with dementia is believed to be close to 50 million. This number is expected to double every 20 years, so come 2050 over 131.5 million people will have dementia.
Dementia doesn’t choose its target. Rich, poor, famous, infamous, successful, living in elderly home care services in Illinois or living with family – it doesn’t matter. Everyone approaching their sixties is at risk of developing this cruel disease.
And despite the advancements in the field of medicine, researchers still haven’t found a way to prevent or cure dementia – and perhaps they never will in this lifetime. What they have found is the key to slowing its progress which is early detection.
In order to succeed at this, one should know the signs and stages of dementia, and this will be listed and described in detail below.
No Impairment
Dementia is a deadly assassin. It shows no symptoms at the beginning. The only way to really determine if one has dementia at this point is to undergo several medical tests and view their medical history.
Very Mild
At this stage, it will start to show itself through forgetfulness. However, this can easily be associated with age and other health problems, so it is still recommended to visit the doctor and take the necessary tests.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
MCI is a condition that causes a slight deterioration in one’s memory and thought process. People with MCI tend to forget and lose things often. They also start to have trouble remembering simple words as if they just fell right out their brain.
While this doesn’t affect someone’s ability to function independently, it is still a cause for concern as it may be a sign of dementia.
Moderate
At the moderate stage, the person will have trouble controlling their bladder and will experience difficulty performing mental exercises. They will also lose larger chunks of their sentences which often leads to social withdrawal.
Little assistance is needed for people with moderate dementia and they may still be able to function independently albeit with some difficulty.
Severe
As dementia progress, the person’s need for assistance to go through their daily lives also increases. And someone with severe dementia will most likely need 24-hr assistance in order to go about their day.
Signs that a person has severe dementia include severe changes in personality and behavior, increased paranoia and having hallucinations, inability to recall names and recognize faces, and many more.
Very Severe
At this point, there’s really no way to stop the progression of dementia as this is the final stage. People who arrive at this stage eventually lose their language skills, their awareness of everything around them, and their ability to function as a human being. They will need assistance to do almost everything from eating, walking, standing, and even sitting.
Key Takeaways
Just imagine the millions of people scattered all over the world that have to struggle with this savage disease. Some of them are left alone in elderly home care services in Illinois and other states, while some are fortunate enough to still be living with their loved ones.
Every 3.2 seconds, someone somewhere becomes part of the statistic and develops dementia. It is estimated that we gain 9.9 million cases of dementia every year. Don’t let yourself or someone else you love add to this number
Early detection is the best we have against this disease, so don’t skip your doctor’s appointments! Regularly have your mental and physical health evaluated and don’t take your body for granted.