Learn About the Stages of Frontotemporal Dementia
If a senior citizen has frontotemporal dementia, they are going to experience certain signs. Some of these may be subtle in the early stage of this disease. However, as the disease progresses the signs are going to become more prevalent and take over their behaviors and personality. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for frontotemporal dementia at this time. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that family caregivers and elder care providers can do to help them.
Elder Care in Studio City CA: Frontotemporal Dementia
Earliest Signs
Before your elderly loved one receives a frontotemporal dementia diagnosis, they may still be in the earliest stage. During this stage, there are some signs that you or elder care providers might notice in your elderly loved one such as:
- Eating too much
- Acting compulsively
- Not being as social as usual
- Denying they are forgetting things
- Quick to react
- Mood swings
- Subtle changes in their behavior
Throughout the progression of the disease, these things will worsen. However, during the first stage of frontotemporal dementia, the signs may be so subtle that you think it is just them getting older.
Mid-Stage Frontotemporal Dementia
This is the stage where a lot of senior citizens who have the disease receive a diagnosis. As noted above, one reason for that may be because the signs that occur before this stage are so subtle that they are attributed to getting older. With this being said, during the mid-stage of frontotemporal dementia, some of the signs that you or a senior care provider might notice in your elderly loved one include:
- Needing more help from you, their doctors, loved ones, and home care providers
- Acting out more
- Needing speech therapy as their language impairments worsens (slowed speech, forgetting words, communication issues, etc.)
- More severe mood swings
- Worsening memory loss
- Higher risk of tripping over things or falling in general
During this stage, you and elderly care providers may need to make changes to their homes to ensure they are safe. Some ways you can do this are putting a ramp up on the porch, keeping clutter picked up, and making sure the kitchen utensils are put in safe places.
Final Stage of the Disease
During the final stage of the disease, the signs that you or companion care at home providers notice will be more advanced and severe. Some of the signs that may be noticed in your elderly loved one include:
- Severe difficulty communicating (can’t communicate at all near the end)
- Completely lost their original personality
- Severe mood swings, aggression, and behavior changes
It is going to be difficult for everyone in the family and friends to adapt to this stage. Your elderly loved one isn’t going to know who anyone is at this point. They are going to need Elder Care.
Elder Care Conclusion
Do you believe that your elderly loved one has frontotemporal dementia or any other type of dementia? If so, it is crucial that you or an elder care provider take them to see their doctor. The sooner they can receive a diagnosis, if this is what they have, the sooner the care plan can be created to try to help them manage symptoms better for as long as possible.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Studio City, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Care Help. Serving All of Los Angeles County. Call Us Today (888) 989-7388
Sources
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/types-frontotemporal-disorders
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