Dementia is a very serious disease and if not detected during the early stages, can be very dangerous. Here is a list of the stages and their corresponding characteristics:

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Stage 1> No Cognitive Impairment

This stage is the basis of Dementia, and people with a strong memory may not even notice a problem.

Stage 2> Mild Cognitive Decline

This stage sees the individual suffer mild forgetfulness stages, where sometimes, the names of familiar objects might be forgotten. This stage can also not be determined clearly.

Stage 3> Comparatively Higher Cognitive Decline

Some deficiencies might come to notice. Loss of ability to remember common names, phrases and also lower organizing ability are some characteristics.

Stage 4> Moderate Cognitive Decline

Decreased knowledge of common everyday events, decreased mathematical ability, reduced memory, inability to do difficult tasks and depression form the basic characteristics of this stage.

Stage 5> High Cognitive Decline

This stage forms the beginning of severe stages. It is very good if the disease is noticed anytime before this stage, as this stage proves to be very difficult for treatment. The patient may now require help with everyday tasks. They do not require help, however, with eating or using the toilet. There is decreased mathematical ability, inability to retain knowledge of date or time, and there may also be severe memory lapses.

Stage 6> Severe Cognitive Decline

In this stage, people begin to lose sight of everyday events. They have generally big memory lapses. They may read a paragraph five times without retaining anything at all. Even though the individuals in this stage can recall their own name, they have lesser recollection of their personal history. The person may need help with dressing, going to the toilet and eating properly among other similar things. They may also wander and become lost.

Stage 7> Very Severe Cognitive Decline

This is the final stage of this dreaded disease, and there can be generally no hope for people entering this stage. The individual may lose his ability to form recognizable words in his speech. The person may not be able to control their muscles, may need help with sitting, laying down, standing up and walking. They may not even be able to smile or frown. This person usually forgets their own name.

Taking care of a Dementia sufferer brings a new challenge everyday. It is often difficult, and may sometimes seem overwhelming. You should know, however, that there are support services available. The first step to getting support is obtaining any information you can on the topic of Dementia.

There are many organizations spread the world over that can help you on this. Support services include:

Counseling: This can be especially useful for the patient as well as the caregiver. They can learn about new developments and also learn about ways to take care.

Health Services: These services also provide valuable services -

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1. The family doctor is the first to respond. He/she prescribes medicines and refers you to further specialists.

2. The CDAMSC or Cognitive Dementia and Memory Service Clinic can help in early diagnosis and identification. It is also especially helpful in prescribing medicines.

3. ACAS or Aged Care Assessment Service.

4. District Nursing Services.

5. Other health services including speech therapy, podiatry, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Home Support Services: Some of these services for Dementia patients staying at home, and for their caretakers are:

• Community Aged Care Packages.
• Meals on Wheels providing home-delivered meals.
• Home help that can offer help with showering, cleaning, and dressing.
• The Independent Living Centre in each State provides different services designed to promote safe living.

Respite care: Family members and caregivers also need to have breaks from time to time from taking care of their Dementia patient. This can be done by arranging regular respite care for the Dementia patient. Respite care has different types depending on the setup:

• Residential respite – this service is available in nursing homes and hostels to allow the caregiver to take a break from taking care of the patient.
• In-home respite – gives assistance in the home to enable the caregiver to have short time off away from home.

Dementia is a condition that is depicted with a loss of mental functions in some areas including memory, judgment, language, visual and spatial abilities. It is a serious health condition that alters the patient’s way of living. Dementia, essentially, is a set of symptoms that come with certain diseases that affect the human brain.

Dementia mostly affects people of old age. It can also affect young people too but it is a rare occurrence. Symptoms of Dementia can also be noticed with infections, surgery, sleep deprivation, dehydration, irregular food intake, change in personality, and loneliness.

This is a condition known as delirium and is observed in most Dementia patients. Delirium can be treated with proper care, healthy food intake, and improved sleeping habits; however, these treatments will not cause any improvements in the human brain. Brain cells of patients who have severe Dementia gradually die.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common conditions that are known to affect a person’s mental abilities, particularly memory and thought processes. Alzheimer’s is also one of the major causes of Dementia, accounting for 50% of known Dementia cases. This disease affects the cortex part of the brain.

It is estimated that about 4.5 million Americans over the age of 65 are affected with this disease. Besides Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Pick’s diseases also cause Dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease was first described in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, a German neurologist. Alzheimer’s disease is the result of nerve cell changes and a loss of brain cells. Approximately 12% of people aged 65 and over are victims of Alzheimer’s disease.

This disease is an irreversible, progressive disorder in which the neurons of the human brain deteriorate, resulting in loss of memory and inability to make judgments and reasoning among others.

An Alzheimer’s patient has difficulty with memory, thinking, and decision making. Living a normal life is near on impossible for an Alzheimer’s patient. Advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, memory and other mental functions of the brain are totally lost.

The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is yet to be determined but there are currently some theories about it, which include chemical, genetic, autoimmune, slow virus and blood vessel theories. These theories need further investigations, though.

Since Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible, Dementia caused by this disease cannot be fully cured. Other types of Dementia, however, can be partially or totally cured, depending on the reversibility of the disease that causes it.

Thus, correct diagnosis of the underlying cause of Dementia is necessary to determine any possible treatments and cure for the disorder.

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease that debilitates the natural ability of the human brain from functioning normally resulting in a gradual loss of memory and mental skills. This disease often comes with forgetfulness, drastic personality change, fluctuated mood, hallucinations and can be fatal.

Alzheimer’s is not curable, it’s permanent and fatal which needs to be treated with proper and correct diagnosis from its early phase. An overall check up of physical, psychological and neurological systems are required before starting on any kind of treatment.

One important thing that should be considered after a thorough check up process on the patient is to make sure of the results and verify if it is indeed Alzheimer’s disease. This is because Alzheimer’s disease is a bit indistinguishable with many Dementia related diseases which can be treated and are impermanent.

This wrong diagnosis causes wrong treatment which, obviously, will not be of any help to the patient. Sometimes, vascular disease, stroke, brain tumors, thyroid problem, malnutrition, depression in aged persons are mistakenly treated as Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease patients always suffer from severe memory loss and drastic change in behavior. They also lose their confidence and often lack sleep. All of these symptoms together create anxiety, fear and restlessness to the patient.

For their improvement, perfect combination of drug and non-drug treatment is highly suggested. The proper caring that they need is a very difficult task. Here are some points that should always be considered and remembered:

- Memory aiding techniques: The patient should always be given a chance to improve their lost memory. There should be some options left to give them a chance to complete a task, which can help them gradually. They also needs encouragement to boost up their self-confidence.

- Narrating the past: It is a very useful tool in handling patients with Alzheimer’s disease because it increases their self-awareness. Their past life and happy moments before should be narrated to them over and over again.

- Everyday encouragement: It is important to encourage them with praise after completing their daily tasks even if it is a failure attempt.

- Making a simple schedule: Simplification of daily routines reduces dilemma on the patient. Through this, it lessens their feeling of anxiety and helplessness.

All the above guidelines are expected to be done carefully even if there is no response on the part of the patient. A sign of development is anticipated after a period of time.

The most common type of Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It happens when brain neurons gradually die which eventually results in a progressive relapse of one’s mental ability. It is very unfortunate that there is no sure fire way to cure this deadly disease.

But drug and non-drug treatments can help to reduce the degree of this disease. Researchers are constantly trying to find new treatments to help patients of Alzheimer’s disease. Basically, there are five theories regarding this disease that require further investigation:.

1. Chemical Theory

Human brain cells communicate with one another through chemicals; this way, communication is called neurotransmitters. In Alzheimer’s disease, brain cells have reduced uncovered levels of several neurotransmitters which affect human brain activities and intellectual functions. Besides, the excessive deposits of aluminum toxins have also been found in an Alzheimer patient’s brain.

2. Genetic Theory

Genetic factors also play a major role in Alzheimer’s disease. It was found that a mutation on chromosome 14 is responsible for 10% of Alzheimer’s disease at the initial stage. Mutation on chromosome 1, chromosome 21 and chromosome 12 are responsible for later stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

3. Blood Vessel Theory

Some defects and patches in blood vessels supplying blood to neurons can also cause Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Slow Virus Theory

A special type of slow acting virus is also found in an Alzheimer’s brain and which is definitely an important cause of this disease. This results in the production of antibodies of one’s own essential cells.

5. Autoimmune Theory

In this disease, the immune system of the human body fails and starts to work reversibly. Actually, the immune system of a human body may start attacking its own cells and tissues.

Though there is no clear-cut way to cure this disease, some precautions should be taken to avoid this disease. Regular exercise, maintaining normal body weight, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol at normal levels, eating a rich diet with vitamin C, E, antioxidants, as well as eating fish with healthy oil will help minimize the risks.

Taking drugs can also slow the loss of mental blocking of the patient. But drugs should be taken from the initial stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Some memory increasing tips and techniques can be of some help in early stages. But if the patient is at the advanced stage of this disease, there is hardly any remedy. So, it is always advised to take all the required precautions from the initial stage.

It is shown by the researchers that Alzheimer’s disease commonly develops in the latter part of life. Hence, it is always important to start leading a healthy life style after the age of 40. It is also known that genetic factors are also responsible for developing Alzheimer’s disease. So, people with family history of this disease should be more cautious and take preventive measures from early ages.

According to the Royal College of Physicians, “Alzheimer’s disease is the global impairment of higher functions, including memory, the capacity to solve the problems of day to day living, the performance of learned perceptuo-motor skills, the correct use of social skills, and the control of emotional reactions in the absence of gross clouding of consciousness.”

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Alzheimer’s disease has different stages. It is very important to know about the various stages or phases of the disease to determine the exact treatment to be given to the patient.

Dr Reisberg, M.D., Clinical Director of the New York University School of Medicine’s Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center, together with his team, developed the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) scale of Alzheimer’s disease. They divided it into 7 major stages and 16 sub-stages.

Stage 1: No impairment

An Alzheimer’s patient may experience no memory loss and everything seems to be normal when facing any kind of medical counseling. Stage 1 is a normal stage with no decline in memory of the patient.

Stage 2: Very mild decline in memory

Slight decline in memory may start to be experienced. However, it may be thought of as a normal phase an old person goes through. In this stage, the person who has the disease may forget the names of known places and persons. It is the earliest sign of the Alzheimer’s disease.

Stage 3: Mild decline in memory

At this stage, early indications of Alzheimer’s disease come into picture. In most cases, an Alzheimer’s patient experiences memory loss and lack of concentration. Anxiety is an important sign at this stage but it is not obvious all the time. Memory defects only become clear after a long medical examination. At this stage, patients often fail to plan or organize things properly.

Stage 4: Moderate decline in memory

At this stage, denial and a flattening of the patient’s mood becomes a factor. After conducting a long medical examination, clear cut deficiencies are detected in some areas. An Alzheimer’s patient becomes forgetful of recent events, unable to calculate slightly difficult sums, and unable to complete complex works like paying bills, marketing etc. A patient may forget about their personal history at this stage and become very much withdrawn from any challenging work.

Stage 5: Moderately severe decline in memory

An Alzheimer’s patient is at this stage when they cannot do things on their own and always need an assistant to complete their daily life. At this stage, personal information may be completely forgotten such as address and phone number. A major gap in memory is detected. A patient may fail to do simple sums or differentiate between day and night. A patient at this stage needs help to make a choice of their dress for example, the names of the children and spouse can still be recalled at this stage however.

Stage 6: Severe cognitive decline

Memory loss is really extreme at this stage. At this stage, Alzheimer’s patients need a 24-7 help from an assistant to complete their daily life. They even forget their spouse’s and children’s names. Patients take a long time to differentiate between known and unknown faces. Other signs of Alzheimer’s at this stage include change in sleeping patterns, personality change and increased instances of the patient getting lost.

Stage 7: Very severe cognitive decline

At this final stage of Alzheimer’s disease, very severe cognitive decline is detected. Patients become completely oblivious about their surroundings and rarely respond to their environment. They may fail to communicate properly at this stage. Alzheimer’s patients at this stage can’t even walk, sit or eat without help from others. Patients become totally dependent as they are starting to act abnormally.

Acetylcholine: It is a way of communication through chemicals between two adjacent nerve cells in the brain. In Dementia related cases, these brain cells are adversely affected.

ADAS: Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale. This scale measures the degree of disease in an Alzheimer’s Disease patient. Memory status and communication ability of a patient are graded by this measurement scale.

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AD7C Test: Also called the AlzheimAlert Test. It is used for detection of levels of neutral protein in cerebral fluid. Though, the Alzheimer’s Association doesn’t recommend this test.

Adult Day Care Service: Interaction session provided by various support groups amongst patients of Dementia.

Agnosia: The inability to recognize familiar persons, objects, sound, and smells. It is a common problem for Dementia patients.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD): The most common disease that causes Dementia. It is a fatal disease and mostly seen in people aged over 65. Forgetfulness, restlessness, personality change, behavior change, and hallucinations are some of the features of this disease.

Anoxia: A condition where oxygen supply to a tissue of any organ is absent, though there is blood circulation through this tissue. This is a common problem of head injury related Dementia.

Aphasia: Inability to speak, read and write or carry on prolonged conversations due to damage of neurons in the brain.

CTAR: Computerized Axial Tomography Scan. This process is used to get an enlarged vision of the brain.

Cholinesterase: A type of enzyme located in nerve cells of the brain. It is responsible for breaking down Acetylcholine between two adjacent nerve cells.

Claudicating: An early indication of vascular Dementia causing aches in legs and other parts of the body after some physical work.

CNS: Central Nervous System. The brain and spinal chord are main parts of this system.

Cognition: A combination of a processes including knowing, learning, thinking and judging.

Complex Visual Acuity: A condition where the brain does not allow people to recognize familiar persons or objects, though there is no deficiency with visibility.

CVA: The short form of cerebral-vascular accident.

Delirium: The moderate stage of Dementia where patients experience severe decline in memory. At this stage, usually patients are unable to think in an organized manner and often become confused over number for example.

Delusion: A false belief, opinion or state of being.

Electro-encephalogram: A test to detect any patch in the brain. Dementia patients are also checked with this diagnosis. It is called EEG in short.

Frontal Lobe Dementia (FLD): A sudden change in personality and behavior in a Dementia patient is called FLD.

Hypoxia: A condition where oxygen levels decreases in the brain.

Lewy Body Dementia (LBD): A progressive brain disease and a leading cause of dementia.

Lumbar puncture (LP): A process of removing spinal fluid from the canal for testing purpose. A common test for Dementia diagnosis.

MCI: Mild cognitive impairment. An early indication of Alzheimer’s disease.

Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE for short. An evaluation test to measure the degree of dementia.

Magnetic Resonance Images:(MRI): A mechanical process of generating images of the brain.

Neuro-degenerative: The decomposition of brain cells.

Parkinson’s Disease: A known disease causing Dementia.

Pseudo-Dementia: Inability to differentiate environment difference in spite of not having any mental or physical impairment. It is an early sign of Dementia.

Pick’s Disease: A leading cause of Frontal Lobe Dementia.

Synaptic gap: The gap between two adjacent nerve cells.

Vascular dementia: Dementia caused my impaired blood circulation in the brain which gradually develops in other parts of body due to restricted blood circulation.

Visuospatial Disturbances: Inability to make out a relation between an object and space described by that object.