Dementia can feel overwhelming — whether you’re a family caregiver or supporting a loved one from a distance. To help demystify this complex condition, Watermark hosted Navigating Dementia 101, the second webinar in our dementia series. Our panel included dementia-certified experts Leanne Collins (Director of Integrative Care at Watermark) and Maureen Garvey (Regional Director of Resident Experience at Watermark), alongside Kathy, who shares her personal experience caring for her mother living with Alzheimer’s disease.
What is Dementia?
Many people use “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s” interchangeably, but they’re not the same. Dementia describes a collection of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and communication, while Alzheimer’s is the most common cause.
Types of Dementia:
- Lewy Body Dementia: Fluctuating alertness, visual hallucinations, movement challenges.
- Vascular Dementia: Can occur after strokes or when blood flow to the brain is reduced, affecting thinking and mood.
- Frontotemporal Dementia: Personality changes, impulsiveness, or language difficulties.
- Parkinson’s Disease Dementia: Slowed thinking, hallucinations, and movement challenges.
- Huntington’s Disease Dementia: A Genetic condition with involuntary movements, mood swings, and cognitive decline.
- Mixed Dementia: A combination of types with varying symptoms.
Understanding the type of dementia can help you anticipate your loved one's needs and find effective strategies to support them.
Recognizing the Stages of Dementia
Dementia progresses differently for everyone, but it’s often described in three stages:
- Mild (Early) Stage: Subtle memory lapses, difficulty with complex tasks, slight personality changes, or social withdrawal.
- Moderate (Middle) Stage: Increased confusion, assistance with daily tasks, mood swings, sleep changes, and repetitive behaviors.
- Severe (Late) Stage: Significant memory loss, communication difficulties, challenges with eating or walking, and full-time care needs.