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As a care worker, it is essential that you are trained and experienced in providing care for particular types of illnesses.

If you chiefly care for people with dementia, it makes sense that you need to understand all about how the condition starts, affects people and what care is needed. You can get all of this information as part of a dementia awareness course, during which you will also learn about the three stages of dementia.

These are as follows:

Stage 1 – The person starts to notice that they aren’t remembering things as normal, or thinking in quite the same way. Gaps in memory are often covered up by the person, but those close to them may still spot a worrying lapse every so often.

Stage 2 – The person experiences more frequent memory lapses and confusion that cannot be hidden from loved ones or carers. Short term memory is often impaired, leaving the person anxious about when events took place and asking lots of repetitive questions. The person may find day-to-day life difficult to manage and may change habits (i.e. an organised person becoming untidy), drop previously enjoyed hobbies and withdraw socially.

Stage 3 – The person is highly impaired by dementia and limited in their ability to think and communicate. The person may need assistance to carry out daily activities safely, requiring constant supervision and losing the ability to live an independent life.