Level 1 – Early Stage Dementia
In each area may exhibit one or more of the following:
Awareness - "Has Knowledge of the past, present, and future"
- Believes still has responsibilities
- Doesn’t believe needs assistance or any help
- Retains some form of thought; i.e. follows through with some thought or action
Behaviors at this stage
- May get started going or doing something and will lose train of thought
- May at times be suspicious, show anxious behaviors
- Some tearfulness, depression, and some catastrophic reactions
- Environment stimulates behavior
- Resistance to care/help
- ADL’s relatively intact…May need some supervision in…
- Eating
- Toileting (may be incontinent)
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Socially interacts best with alert individuals
- May fear being alone
- Experiences relocation trauma and/or may have negative reaction to changes in general
Level 2 – Middle Stage Dementia
In each area may exhibit one or more of the following:
Awareness - "Has Knowledge of only past and immediate present"
- Gives up previous responsibilities
- Unconcerned about whereabouts
- No longer able to think abstractly
- Lives in the past
Behaviors at this stage
- Wandering (Uncertain where they are – may want to go home)
- Searching for things/persons
- May get started going somewhere and lost train of thought
- Suspicious, anxious related to loss of recognition of loved one
- Tearfulness, depression, and catastrophic outbursts; related to comprehension and communication deficits and inability to communicate pain and discomfort needs
- Environment stimulates/prompts negative behaviors
- Much resistance to caregiving and unfamiliar persons
- ADL’s require simplification, increased time allowances and assistance
- Eating
- Toileting (incontinent)
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming
- May enjoy holding soft items; i.e. stuffed items
- May enjoy caring for a “baby doll”
- Searches for social contact…May develop a “buddy” and spend most of the day with him/her. Nurtures Level III Stage persons and listens to Level I Stage persons
Level 3 – Late Stage Dementia
In each area may exhibit one or more of the following:
Awareness - "Limited to what is in field of vision"
- Senses are heightened significantly…seeks immediate sensory gratification
- May retain some over-learned skills from the past
Behaviors at this stage
- Wandering Patter: Follows others…wants to go home
- Fluctuating periods of hyper/hypo activity
- Things go into mouth
- Environment stimulates behavior
- Doesn’t recognize loved ones
- Catastrophic outbursts related to severe comprehension and communication deficits
- Can’t communicate needs, pain, discomfort
- ADL’s may require almost total care
- Eating
- Toileting (incontinent)
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Grooming