Aging can influence our health and brain in many ways. Often people tend to forget things, information and events as they grow old. However, age-related memory loss is quite different from dementia which is a condition generally caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Many people suffer from issues like memory slips as they grow old but dementia is a complex condition that can interfere with the memory, judgment and communication abilities of your loved ones.
Hence, you need to provide dementia patients with all the love, care and trust that you can offer. Choosing a local dementia care service can help you provide your loved ones with the right assistance. If you are in Orlando, you can look for dementia home care in Orlando options online and offline.
Generally, when doctors diagnose dementia they assign a CDR score (Clinical Dementia Rating) that would determine the stages of dementia. This score would be based on the performance of the tests patients undergo and their medical history.
Stage 1 – CDR Score: 0
At this stage, the patient shows no sign of memory loss. The CDR score of zero indicates that the patient can take care of their personal needs and demands and has no significant memory problems. These patients are fully oriented and they can solve everyday problems and tackle challenges and make business and financial decisions. They can go about their daily routine and shop and socialize without any medical assistance required.
Stage 2 – CDR Score: 0.5
The CDR score is 0.5 determines that are indications of very mild dementia. In this, stage, most patients would be able to handle their daily chores independently however, they might forget words, things, or find it hard to express their thoughts because they can’t find the right words. These patients are fully oriented but they might have slight relationship problems. Similarly, they might have slight problems with solving problems and handling challenges. However, having said that, they are fully capable of taking care of themselves.
Stage 3 – CDR Score: 1
Most dementia patients will experience problems at this stage as they find it hard to manage their daily activities without help. At this stage, the patients have poor judgment skills and they end up making wrong choices. They tend to forget information like events, dates and appointments. They also have difficulty with the orientation of relationships and place and time. While they can take care of themselves they need to be reminded and prompted to take action.
Stage 4 – CDR Score: 2
Patients with a CDR score of 2 will have problems with keeping themselves clean and handling daily chores and interacting socially. With severe memory loss, they find it hard to maintain relationships. Most patients will require assistance for dressing and maintaining personal hygiene.
Stage 5 – CDR Score: 3
At this stage, the patient would not be able to take care without assistance as their understanding of direction, time and personal hygiene are lost. They might find it hard to recognize family members and friends and therefore they might not be able to socialize and make judgments. In most cases, the patients would be ill because of weakness and poor health and therefore bedridden.
