vascular dementia

Vascular dementia is a general term describing problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain. You can develop vascular dementia after a stroke blocks an artery in your brain, but strokes don't always cause vascular dementia.

1. What are the 7 stages of vascular dementia?
2. How long can you live after being diagnosed with vascular dementia?
3. What is the difference between dementia and vascular dementia?
4. What happens when you have vascular dementia?
5. What are the end stages of vascular dementia?
6. At what point do dementia patients need 24 hour care?
7. Can vascular dementia get worse suddenly?
8. Do vascular dementia patients sleep a lot?
9. Does vascular dementia run in families?
10. Does a person with dementia know they are confused?
11. Does vascular dementia cause personality changes?
12. What should you not say to someone with dementia?

What are the 7 stages of vascular dementia?

The 7 stages of Dementia

• Normal Behaviour. ...
• Forgetfulness. ...
• Mild Decline. ...
• Moderate Decline. ...
• Moderately Severe Decline. ...
• Severe Decline. ...
• Very Severe Decline.

How long can you live after being diagnosed with vascular dementia?

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.

What is the difference between dementia and vascular dementia?

The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that can include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. In vascular dementia, these symptoms occur when the brain is damaged because of problems with the supply of blood to the brain.

What happens when you have vascular dementia?

In vascular dementia, changes in thinking skills sometimes occur suddenly after a stroke, which blocks major blood vessels in the brain.

What are the end stages of vascular dementia?

Final Days/Weeks

• Hands, feet, arms and legs may be increasingly cold to the touch.
• Inability to swallow.
• Terminal agitation or restlessness.
• An increasing amount of time asleep or drifting into unconsciousness.
• Changes in breathing, including shallow breaths or periods without breathing for several seconds or up to a minute.

At what point do dementia patients need 24 hour care?

When living at home is no longer an option

There may come a time when the person living with Alzheimer's disease or dementia will need more care than can be provided at home. During the middle stages of Alzheimer's, it becomes necessary to provide 24-hour supervision to keep the person with dementia safe.

Can vascular dementia get worse suddenly?

Vascular dementia will usually get worse over time. This can happen in sudden steps, with periods in between where the symptoms do not change much, but it's difficult to predict when this will happen. Home-based help will usually be needed, and some people will eventually need care in a nursing home.

Do vascular dementia patients sleep a lot?

It is quite common for a person with dementia, especially in the later stages, to spend a lot of their time sleeping – both during the day and night. This can sometimes be distressing for the person's family and friends, as they may worry that something is wrong.

Does vascular dementia run in families?

In most cases, vascular dementia itself is not inherited.

Other than in a few, very rare cases, parents cannot pass on vascular dementia to their children. However, a parent may pass certain genes that increase the risk of developing vascular dementia.

Does a person with dementia know they are confused?

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.

Does vascular dementia cause personality changes?

People with vascular dementia may also have changes in mood or behavior, such as irritability, loss of interest, or depression.

What should you not say to someone with dementia?

I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.