What Are the Seven Stages of Vascular Dementia?
The seven stages of vascular dementia begin with no impairment, then continue with very mild, mild and moderate, according to EverydayHealth. The last stages include moderately severe, severe and very severe.
In the first stage of vascular dementia, the patient experiences no signs or symptoms of the disease, explains EverydayHealth. The next two stages, very mild and mild, also produce very few symptoms. For instance, a patient with very mild symptoms misplaces items and becomes somewhat forgetful. Forgetfulness in the mild stage is slightly more pronounced. Although an individual can function independently, he can lose concentration, become confused while driving and experience some memory loss from time to time.
An individual with moderate vascular dementia has more trouble doing routine items, can become incontinent and forgets things more often, says EverydayHealth. It’s at the fifth stage of dementia that an individual requires some assistance because of increased memory loss, making it easy for him to forget personal information such as a home address or location. Severe dementia requires regular caregiving because the patient can become easily lost and forget family names. He can also experience behavioral changes. The final stage of the disease is very severe. The patient loses muscle coordination and skills such as speaking, eating and movement.
