Progression of the disease

You and the person with dementia will probably want some idea of what to expect in the future.  It is not always easy to predict the progression of dementia.  How the person will change will depend on many different factors:

• We are all individuals with our own unique personalities and life experiences.  Each individual is likely to cope differently when given a diagnosis of dementia.
• Each type of dementia has a different pattern of progression.  For example, people with vascular dementia may find that their symptoms remain steady for a while and then suddenly decline.  In people with Alzheimer’s disease the decline may be steadier and for some people there may be a period when their condition seems to stay the same.
• There may be variations even in people with the same type of dementia.  This may depend on the areas of the brain affected.  For example, in cases of vascular dementia the position of small strokes in the brain will lead to different symptoms.
• The person’s physical health may play a large role in how the person changes over time.  A chest infection or a fall may lead to a sudden deterioration, for example.
• People with dementia may also respond to changes in their physical circumstances.  They may be affected if they are moved to somewhere unfamiliar and their routine is disrupted.
• The attitude and mood of the carer may also affect the person with dementia.  The person may be upset by noise and disruption, or may become withdrawn when in a stressful situation with lots of unfamiliar people.

People with dementia's abilities may also fluctuate from day to day, or even within the same day.  Although problems will probably become more severe, even this is not certain.

Click here for A broad outline of the progression of symptoms 

Not everyone will go through every ‘level’, and some people will show problems not mentioned here.  This is simply a guide to the kind of difficulties that may be experienced