Studies show that of the 5.1 million individuals diagnosed with dementia in this country, seventy percent remain in their homes and are receiving care from family and friends.
The middle stages of dementia will bring increasing challenges for you the caregiver and the individual that you are caring for. The early signs of dementia will worsen and new signs of dementia will develop. The caregivers will notice increased mental declines and personality changes will become more noticeable. Physical problems, such as poor balance, become much more apparent. The individual will become more and more dependant on the caregivers in their life.
Middle stage dementia is the longest and can be the most challenging stage for both the caregiver and the individual for whom they are providing care. For the caregivers, there are tremendous mental and emotional challenges. The individual with dementia does not adjust to new of different experiences, as they can cause confusion or frustration. Of the three stages of dementia, this is the time when routines become vital. The author John Bayley, in his book Elegy for Iris, writes "Routine is a substitute for memory".
It is very important that if you are a one of the millions of family caregivers to learn about the specific type of dementia that is affecting your family member. It will give you a better understanding of the disease, what areas of the brain that are affected and help you anticipate some behaviors. Knowledge is power.
As you learn about the type of dementia, and learn about the behaviors that may present for that disease. It is important to note, you will not see all the behaviors and problems that you read about. As with any of the stages of dementia, symptoms and behaviors will surface will be unique to the person with dementia. The behaviors that are exhibited, how long this type of behavior will occur, will depend on several different factors. The type of dementia, whether or not there is more than one type (this is not uncommon) are just a few factors to take into consideration. Medications and their effectiveness as well as compliance with these medications are important. Individuals with dementia also have other medical and health related conditions that will affect their overall ability to handle the mental and physical stressors of this disease.
