Senile Dementia: Recognizing the Stages and Terminal Phase

What Are the Initial Stages of Senile Dementia?

• Onset of Language Disorders, Aphasia: Patients struggle to recall everyday language, including the names of their children. There is also a decrease in verbal fluency and vocabulary impoverishment.

• Emergence of Motor Difficulties, Apraxia: This involves challenges with movements, dressing, and using utensils for eating.

• Appearance of Orientation Problems, Agnosia: Visual issues and frequent confusion between images and objects are common.

• Occurrence of Epileptic Seizures and Confusional Syndromes.

How to Recognize Senile Dementia in the Terminal Stage?

• Increasingly severe symptoms result from neuron destruction, leading to complete and total impairment.

• There is a noticeable decline in motor skills.

• Food often leads to repeated instances of choking, increasing the risk of pulmonary infections.

• Life expectancy at this stage is approximately seven years, on average.

At this point, placement in a medicalized nursing home is strongly recommended to ensure that elderly individuals with dementia receive appropriate care. This is essential for assistance with essential daily tasks and to ensure their safety.