stage: 1

Does your parent know what's happening to them? The answer changes at every stage

In the early stages of dementia, many people are aware that something is wrong. They may notice their own memory lapses, feel frustrated, and become anxious or depressed as a result. This awareness often decreases as the disease progresses. By the moderate stages, many people have reduced insight into their condition, a phenomenon known as anosognosia, which is a neurological symptom rather than denial. In the later stages, awareness is generally very limited. However, emotional memory often persists even when factual memory has gone, meaning the person can still feel love, comfort, fear, or sadness even if they cannot explain why.