Thanks Anne-Marie for this great summary. Most of us know (or think we know) something about Alzheimer's and its stages. But approximately 40% of persons with dementia have some other kind. This can be very confusing for caregivers. And it doesn't help that the euphemism often used for dementia care is "memory care" -- when memory loss isn't the major or first symptom for all types of dementia.
The article is all very interesting and helpful in many ways. Having worked as a Home Carer for 10 + years what I actually learned was that Dementia is totally individual and may only be diagnosed via 1 or 2 of the most common symptoms. These symptoms are often noticable much earlier in life, especially when in distress or at times of extreme "challenges" in life. It is also easy to define dementia as a person ages and patterns emerge. This does not make them less of a person.
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Different Forms of Dementia Commonly Have Different Signs
Having worked as a Home Carer for 10 + years what I actually learned was that Dementia is totally individual and may only be diagnosed via 1 or 2 of the most common symptoms. These symptoms are often noticable much earlier in life, especially when in distress or at times of extreme "challenges" in life. It is also easy to define dementia as a person ages and patterns emerge. This does not make them less of a person.