A loved one’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia can bring up a lot of questions. What can your loved one do on their own? Is it safe for them to live at home? How will you know when they need additional care?
As the disease progresses, your loved one will change — and your role as a caregiver will change too. This guide can help you understand those changes and gives you information about what you can do, and how VNS Health can support you and your family.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is not a disease itself. It describes symptoms of diseases that cause changes in the brain. These changes affect a person’s ability to think, speak, and solve problems. These changes also cause memory loss. Diseases like high blood pressure or Parkinson’s don’t affect the brain. They can still cause memory loss or dementia.
Stages, Symptoms, and Tips for Care
Most types of dementia are progressive — that is, they get worse over time. The diseases may have different stages, but these are often categorized as mild or early-stage dementia, moderate or middle-stage dementia, and severe or late-stage dementia.
Caring for Someone with Late-Stage Dementia
The final stage of dementia can be broken down into “moderately severe” and “severe.”
If you are considering hospice, remember that it is not round-the-clock care. However, you may be able to get full-time help with private pay or certain private long-term care plans.