How Faculties Deteriorate with Dementia
Broadly speaking there are two symptom patterns of deterioration in Alzheimer's:
Simple Deterioration
The most obvious and often first noticed element of deterioration is loss of memory. This is followed by a decline in other mental capabilities. Judgement begins to deteriorate, falter and periods of disorientation become more common. Some people display genial and amiable qualities although irritation and frustration can sometimes appear. As the process of deterioration continues they frequently busy themselves with harmless but pointless activities such as storing paper, saving string, or repeating certain aspects of daily routines to an obsessional level. At other times picking behaviors, such as appearing to pick fluff from clothing, is seen more frequently. It may be accompanied by tasting and/or lip touching to a point where almost everything within arms reach is a candidate for being sampled.
Some caregivers can't help but notice the similarities between caring for very young children and people in a more advanced stage of dementia and therefore deterioration. Such similarities have their drawbacks and are in many ways inaccurate, but in terms of vigilance, there are parallels to be drawn. Walking out of the house and getting lost, turning on switches, running the bath and forgetting about it, repeatedly asking the same questions, are all characteristics.
