The disease trajectory
Despite the variations in the type and severity of symptoms and their respective patterns of development, most dementia's are typically a gradual onset, progressive in nature and are irreversible.
The course of dementia is often characterised as occurring in three stages:
Mild or early-stage dementia
Deficits are evident in a number of areas such as memory and personal care, but the person can still function with minimal assistance
Moderate or middle-stage dementia
Deficits become more obvious and severe, and increasing levels of assistance are required to help the person maintain their functioning in the home and community
Severe or late-stage dementia
Characterised by almost total dependence on care and supervision by others