Dementia Progression: Navigating the Journey with Your Loved One

Jun 1

Boy teaching grandfather how to use laptop — *Credit:* *Freepik*

Witnessing your loved one go through stages of dementia can be a challenging and emotional experience. Dementia is a progressive condition that affects an individual's cognitive abilities, memory, and behaviour. During the progression of dementia stages, your loved ones needs may change, resulting in behaviours you are unfamiliar with. The lack of awareness of the progression of dementia stages can make it challenging to provide appropriate care.

Being a dementia caregiver can be rewarding, but it also comes with challenges, especially when dealing with worsening dementia. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, caregivers spend 26 hours per week caring for a senior with dementia, and 45 percent of unpaid dementia caregivers exhibit symptoms of caregiver distress.

As you stand by your loved one's side during dementia progression, it's essential to educate yourself about signs of worsening dementia symptoms and explore different ways to navigate the journey to reduce stress for you and your family. At Sagecare's private dementia care home, we aim to take a compassionate and supportive approach to dementia care while helping families navigate the journey of dementia progression together.

Dementia Progression: What to Expect

One of the most common concerns about dementia progression is what to expect during this time?

While the progression of dementia may vary from person to person, it generally follows a similar pattern. It is important to note that these stages may overlap or progress at different rates, so it's important to get familiar with dementia progression timelines.

Stage 1: Preclinical or Mild Cognitive Impairment

In the early stages, dementia symptoms may be subtle and easily dismissed as normal aging. Your loved one may experience mild forgetfulness, such as misplacing items or forgetting names.

Stage 2: Mild Dementia

As dementia progresses, memory lapses become more noticeable and interfere with daily activities. Your loved one may struggle to keep up in a conversation, have difficulty with organization, and experience short-term memory loss.

Stage 3: Moderate Dementia

During this stage, the cognitive decline becomes more evident, and you may start spotting symptoms of dementia in your loved one, as they may struggle with basic tasks such as dressing, bathing, and meal preparation. They may also experience personality changes, mood swings, and increased confusion.

Stage 4: Severe Dementia

This is the advanced progression of dementia stages where individuals may lose the ability to communicate verbally and require assistance with all activities of daily living. One of the most common indicators of dementia worsening signs here is that memory will be more significant, and your loved one may face challenges recognizing close family members and friends. You may also notice a sudden worsening of dementia symptoms in this case, indicating that your loved one needs professional care.

Navigating the Journey

After you get familiar with dementia progression timelines and symptoms, learning the best ways to navigate this journey with your loved one is important.

Educate Yourself

Whether you want to learn more about dementia progression and what to expect or get familiar with songs of worsening dementia symptoms, it's important to educate yourself about dementia to better help your loved one. You should also take the time to familiarize yourself with available resources and support networks to ensure you can provide proper care for your loved one if they experience a sudden worsening of dementia symptoms.

Seek Professional Help

The best way to get familiar with dementia symptoms and behaviours is through professional help. Healthcare professionals specializing in dementia care can provide guidance, medication management, and suggest appropriate therapies to help manage symptoms and improve the quality of life for your loved one.

After a diagnosis, Sagecare can help create a comfortable living environment for your loved one. Our compassionate team of registered nurses and highly trained staff offer high service and compassion for our resident family members in our dementia care home.

Establish a Routine

Routines provide structure and familiarity, which can help individuals with dementia feel more secure and reduce anxiety. Routines may also support cognitive function by providing mental stimulation and maintaining cognitive engagement.

When observing the signs of worsening dementia symptoms, you may notice that a consistent routine helps seniors rely on familiar cues and prompts, making it easier for them to navigate daily activities and maintain a sense of independence. In fact, routines can also reduce specific negative causes of dementia behaviours as predictable patterns and activities may reduce challenging behaviours and provide a calming and soothing environment.

Adapt the Environment

The environment your loved one resides in will play a role in their behaviour, especially in the later stages of the dementia progression timeline. It's important to modify your loved one's living environment to ensure safety and ease of navigation. Remove potential hazards, install handrails, and label important items to help your loved one maintain independence for as long as possible.

Provide Cognitive Stimulation

Cognitive stimulation is crucial for seniors with dementia as it helps slow down the progression of the disease and prevent dementia from worsening. Engaging in stimulating activities and exercises that target memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities can enhance cognitive function and help maintain existing cognitive skills.

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, some tried-and-tested stimulating activities to delay mental decline involve reading, crossword puzzles, art therapy, cooking, yoga, running, and exercises. Encourage your loved one to partake in some of these activities, based on their interests and abilities, to stimulate the brain and slow down dementia worsening symptoms.

Engage your loved one in activities that promote mental stimulation. Puzzles, memory games, reading, and listening to music can help maintain cognitive function and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Encourage Social Connections

People with dementia may avoid socializing due to factors related to their cognitive decline and emotional experiences. The progression of dementia often leads to difficulties with memory, communication, and understanding, making it challenging for individuals to engage in meaningful conversations and maintain social connections.

But it's important for your loved one with dementia to maintain social connections as socialization can maintain emotional well-being, provide cognitive stimulation, and reduce agitation and behavioural issues. At Sagecare, we encourage our residents to participate in group activities to promote socialization among seniors at our residence.

Practice Self-Care

Lastly, it’s important to remember that navigating the journey of dementia with your loved one will also take a toll on your life. Take the time to sit back and relax to ensure you’re in good health. Ask for help when you need it and rest assured that Sagecare is always here to lend a helping hand.

Cindy Yack

Cindy is a Registered Social Worker who comes to us with a diverse professional background. She began her career working with children and their families before taking her career path in a different direction and switching to senior care. Cindy has worked with the Alzheimer Society of York Region supporting caregivers and their loved ones from a person centre framework. She has a strong understanding of Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias and knows there can still be happiness and positive memories made even after a diagnosis.