Stages of dementia

[Honeypaws]

Hi all,
I keep hearing about the 7 stages of dementia, but not able to find much info about it. Can anyone tell me what these are?. My mum's dementia has got so much worse over the last 6 months, so would be interested to know where she is at. Also what is Lewy body's? We are seeing her amh doctor next Monday, but I would like to find out what others can tell me first. People on here make much more sense than most doctors anyway!!

[Henrietta]

Hi
Just google using quotation marks
"7 stages of dementia"
Loads of websites come up.
I found it quite interesting and by the time I felt that Dad may have dementia I think he was already at stage 4

[jenny lucas]

http://www.healthline.com/health/dement ... ogressive0

Found this just now - sadly, my MIL matches the most severe stage. Difficult to know when she hit the earlier milestones.

[Honeypaws]

Hi Jenny, Henrietta
Thanks for your help. I looked online, and found a lot of info. Looks like mum is nearing stage 6. It was quite scary to read, knowing she has got to this stage so quickly. We are seeing another AMH doc on Monday there are so many things I want to know I will have to write a list. One thing I thought of, the people with dementia that we care for, do they know they have this condition, as my mum constantly asks " what's wrong with me?" I do try to explain but of course she won't remember what I have told her. Do others think is it worth trying to explain to them, or does it make them more confused? What do others think about this.
Honeypaws x

[Henrietta]

I would be honest but without any expectation of it being understood. Keep it simple, honest and only try explaining if asked.
I am sure if Consultant comes eventually and tells Dad he has dementia, Dad will be in complete denial.

[Honeypaws]

Hi,
Now that's the annoying thing doctors sometimes only see them on there good days. If I take mum to the GP when she is at a very low ebb, doc says how are you today and mum says I'm fine, with all the joys of spring! Doc looks at me as if to say why did you make an appointment then. This is probably the same for your dad. I think some of the time our older generation do this because back in their day if you admit anything was wrong mentally, they would whisk you off to hospital or worse, at the drop of a hat. Then they think they won't be coming out again.!!
The mind is a complicated thing.

[Henrietta]

Hi Honeypaws
I had to smile when I read your last post. I have been there so many times, Dad sits there looking ill and grumpy all day, District Nurse arrives and I tell her all is not well and to check with him what's wrong. He leaps into action with the I'm Fine line and sounds chirpier than any point since the last visit.
When Dad was in hospital for 2 months the hospital did not diagnose dementia. He hides it so well by being grumpy or grumpy or grumpy and people let him be.
The only reason I managed to get a referral to the memory clinic was because I jumped up and down and persuaded the hospital to write to GP to request it upon discharge which they did. The GP came out and did a very simple test which Dad passed but later she rang me with a more complicated test which dad failed and then, from the in depth tests the memory clinic did, it became obvious I had not been imagining things.

[Honeypaws]

Hi Henrietta,
So they have dementia, how do they remember to act like they don't ?.
Saw the AMH doc yesterday, and of course mum said all they right things as usual, I had to fill in the bad bits, doc declared mum as doing fine, they didn't do any more memory tests, to see if her tablets had improved things or not and they will review her in 6 months time. I thought no way if I feel she needs to be seen before this time, she WILL be seen! You come out of there thinking well is that it, there must be more to do. Do you think the doctors see this with most patients, when my mum or your dad say there "fine" do they take it at there word, or do they know how bad they are underneath, if you get what I mean?
Honeypaws x

[Henrietta]

Hi Honeypaws
Yes they are very used to it. Both nurses that did Dad's assessments said they were used to patients "putting it on" and covering up . The second specialist memory nurse was excellent at probing and questioning Dad's answers. For example "how do you get on preparing meals? " "Fine thanks" , "So how would you make a sandwich? ", "My daughter does it!" etc etc.
She heard the phrase "My daughter does it " a fair few times
I was also told even after the assessment Dad was unlikely to be given medication, one group ruled out because of stroke/recently taken off warfarin and another group ruled out because of kidney failure.
Consequently I am not expecting much more from the consultant than a label I can wave at people.

[Honeypaws]

Hi Henrietta,
Thanks for that it's just made me realise that most of what the doc asked her she answered with " pauline (me) does everything for me, "
She can't do much for herself anyway, so like you that's probably as far as they can go to help them. One thing I picked up on from your last message is your dads wafarin, did they say why it was stopped? Mum had a mild heart attack about 10yrs ago and she has been on it ever since, and she is now on Memantine for the dementia and her wafarin hasn't been stopped. If your dad had a stroke I thought he would be on them or similar.
Honeypaws x