My mom never seemed to fit in the “predefined stages”. I read that in the late stage they lose the ability to walk, swallow etc. My mom was walking and swallowing three days before she died, I know I SO wanted to be able to predict, to have some type of timeline not only for her but for me but, as my friends on the forum taught me, “if you have seen one person with dementia, you have seen one person with dementia”. They all have their own timeline. Some of it may be other chronic conditions that hasten it. Who knows. I drove myself crazy trying to plan it and predict it. It was impossible. Take one day at a time. Enjoy the moments you can.
I have wondered the same. My mother (98) has been unable to do arithmetic for about 5 years, state the day of the week or year, or her town, or state which of her siblings are living, which are dead for 3+ years, unable to consistently ID me 2+ years, unable to write for 1.5 years, fully incontinent for 1.5 years, asking for her parents daily for 1.5 years, bedridden 1+ years and refuses to feed herself (unless she is very angry) but has good fine motor skills for gesturing and manipulating things. She is very articulate, with a broad vocabulary, and speaks in lengthy, descriptive sentences.
Seems she’s all over the place in terms of stages.
Not really. And so much depends on the individual diagnosed and what type of dementia they are diagnosed with. Your own physician will likely be unwilling to guess. Reason being? In the past they so often got it wrong. It is very difficult to guess at stages of Lewy's versus Alzheimer's versus Frontal Temporal.
And then you have the individual, who is as individual as his own thumb print. Your best guesswork will come from your loved one's neuro-psyc, but it is a guess.
People on Forum can give you their own experience of the disorders after dealing with them. My own brother was diagnosed with probable early Lewy's by his symptoms. After admission to ALF and my taking over all financial work for him, he only improved in the symptoms, which is unusual in the mind of his doc, and common in the experience of his very GOOD ALF. He died of sepsis after one and one half years, so there would be no knowing where things might have gone, nor how long it would have taken.
Like Grandma1954 said below it will depend on the type of dementia one has. Vascular dementia is the most aggressive with a life expectancy of just 5 years, and Lewy Body is next with a 5-7 year life expectancy, so obviously the stages go much quicker. Whereas Alzheimer's which can go on for 20+ years the stages will take much longer to get through. So like already said just enjoy each moment with your loved one best you can, because there will come a day when you will wish for just one more day with them.
It may depend on the type of dementia. With Vascular dementia changes can happen literally overnight. (my Husband went from walking one day to not walking the next. One day he was able to shave himself, the next he couldn't) I think many of the stages overlap. My Husband was able to do some things he should not have been able to do and other things he could not do. He was non verbal very early one in the journey with dementia and was able to feed himself far longer than I would have thought.
My advice for what it is worth. Rejoice in what can still be done, mourn the loss of an ability but do not let it get to you as there will be other declines that will happen.
My mom had Parkinson’s disease with dementia. Parkinson’s disease also affects everyone differently.
Focus on her as an individual rather than comparing her to others.
Seems she’s all over the place in terms of stages.
And then you have the individual, who is as individual as his own thumb print.
Your best guesswork will come from your loved one's neuro-psyc, but it is a guess.
People on Forum can give you their own experience of the disorders after dealing with them. My own brother was diagnosed with probable early Lewy's by his symptoms. After admission to ALF and my taking over all financial work for him, he only improved in the symptoms, which is unusual in the mind of his doc, and common in the experience of his very GOOD ALF. He died of sepsis after one and one half years, so there would be no knowing where things might have gone, nor how long it would have taken.
Whereas Alzheimer's which can go on for 20+ years the stages will take much longer to get through.
So like already said just enjoy each moment with your loved one best you can, because there will come a day when you will wish for just one more day with them.
With Vascular dementia changes can happen literally overnight. (my Husband went from walking one day to not walking the next. One day he was able to shave himself, the next he couldn't)
I think many of the stages overlap. My Husband was able to do some things he should not have been able to do and other things he could not do. He was non verbal very early one in the journey with dementia and was able to feed himself far longer than I would have thought.
My advice for what it is worth.
Rejoice in what can still be done, mourn the loss of an ability but do not let it get to you as there will be other declines that will happen.