Depression. The symptoms of depression are often mistaken for dementia. It is not easy to define the symptoms because many people with dementia develop signs of depression, such as feelings of low self-esteem and confidence, tearfulness and appetite, concentration and memory problems.

Once doctors can get the cause under control, the confusion usually goes away. It can take hours or days to recover, sometimes longer. In the meantime, some people may need medication to keep them calm and help with their confusion.

In the earlier stages, memory loss and confusion may be mild. The person with dementia may be aware of — and frustrated by — the changes taking place, such as difficulty recalling recent events, making decisions or processing what was said by others.

Resiberg’s system:

• Stage 1: No Impairment. During this stage, Alzheimer’s is not detectable and no memory problems or other symptoms of dementia are evident.
• Stage 2: Very Mild Decline.
• Stage 3: Mild Decline.
• Stage 4: Moderate Decline.
• Stage 5: Moderately Severe Decline.
• Stage 6: Severe Decline.
• Stages 7: Very Severe Decline.

Experts suggest that signs of the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease include some of the following:

• Being unable to move around on one’s own.
• Being unable to speak or make oneself understood.
• Needing help with most, if not all, daily activities, such as eating and self-care.
• Eating problems such as difficulty swallowing.

The most common types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, are progressive, meaning cognitive decline worsens over time. Dementia is categorized as mild, moderate, or severe as well as early stage, middle stage, and late stage dementia.

It’s usually a slowly progressing disease. The average person lives four to eight years after receiving the diagnosis. Some people may live as many as 20 years after their diagnosis.

Stage 4: Early-Stage Dementia People in this stage will have difficulty concentrating, will forget recent events, and will have difficulty managing finances and traveling alone to new locations. Additionally, they may experience difficulty socializing and begin withdrawing from friends and family.

The actual death of a person with dementia may be caused by another condition. They are likely to be frail towards the end. Their ability to cope with infection and other physical problems will be impaired due to the progress of dementia. In many cases death may be hastened by an acute illness such as pneumonia.

You may notice their:

• Eyes tear or glaze over.
• Pulse and heartbeat are irregular or hard to feel or hear.
• Body temperature drops.
• Skin on their knees, feet, and hands turns a mottled bluish-purple (often in the last 24 hours)
• Breathing is interrupted by gasping and slows until it stops entirely.

Depression. Thyroid problems, such as hypothyroidism. Additional neurological conditions. Autoimmune neurological disorders and paraneoplastic disorders, which are conditions that can cause rapidly progressive dementia.

The person may become angry from over-stimulation or boredom. Feelings of being overwhelmed, lonely, or bored can all trigger anger or aggression. Confusion is one of the leading causes of anger and aggression in Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers.

However, end-stage dementia may last from one to three years. As the disease advances, your loved one’s abilities become severely limited and their needs increase. Typically, they: have trouble eating and swallowing.

Often, they seem to just sit quietly, either in a type of daze or possibly with their eyes closed. Their brains are working double time and it can wear them out to the point of exhaustion. There is also the possibility that light might be bothering their eyes.

Gradually, dementia can progress and become severe. At this stage, it often significantly impairs a person’s memory. A person with severe dementia may not recognize family members. Symptoms of late-stage dementia may include an inability to communicate, walk, and control bowel and bladder function.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease causes a type of dementia that gets worse unusually fast. More common causes of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia, typically progress more slowly. Through a process scientists don’t yet understand, misfolded prion protein destroys brain cells.

On average, people with vascular dementia live for around five years after symptoms begin, less than the average for Alzheimer’s disease. Because vascular dementia shares many of the same risk factors as heart attack and stroke, in many cases, the person’s death will be caused by a stroke or heart attack.

Many people affected by dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on dementia. The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.