TL;DR
Dementia typically progresses slowly, but sudden worsening may occur due to medical, physiological, or situational triggers. Monitoring symptoms, maintaining routines, and addressing underlying causes are critical. Professional memory care can provide stability, safety, and compassionate support, helping loved ones manage decline while easing stress for families and caregivers.
- Common symptoms: memory loss, concentration issues, mood changes, communication problems.
- Medical causes: infections, anesthesia complications, medication side effects, deficiencies, dehydration, poor sleep.
- Situational triggers: caregiver changes, hospitalizations, shifts in routine.
- Best practices: track symptoms, maintain consistent routines, seek medical input.
- Memory care: professional support ensures safety, stability, and comfort.
Watching your loved one struggle with dementia can be frustrating, to say the least. As their mind slips out of reach, the next steps can be anything but clear. And it’s not uncommon for you, as an onlooker, to feel a sense of hopelessness.
But there are things you can do to help support your loved one and ensure you are the foundation they need to make the right choices, day in and day out. Understand that we are here to support you.
Here, we will discuss some of the common causes and potential triggers for dementia. We’ll also touch on why a sudden worsening of dementia symptoms can happen. Lastly, we will offer insight into what to do next if you notice your loved one’s dementia getting worse.
Dementia Symptoms
Before we dive into causes, let’s first identify some of the symptoms you may notice in your loved one. As dementia is a regressive process, there’s no single indicator for a diagnosis. In fact, certain symptoms may only appear during specific dementia symptoms stages.
So, what are the signs that dementia is getting worse in your loved one? Here are but a few common symptoms that may appear and may warrant an investigation by a trained professional:
- Memory loss,
- Difficulty with concentration,
- Communication issues,
- Sudden mood changes,
- And more.
Bear in mind, this is a non-exhaustive list and is provided purely to help inform you as a caring loved one. It’s also not specific to any of the dementia symptom stages. However, if you would like a full list of potential dementia symptoms, we have just the resource. Consider the Alzheimer’s Association’s helpful and informative resource on dementia.
Causes for a Sudden Worsening of Dementia Symptoms
Dementia is typically a slowly progressing state in which our minds gradually lose the ability to function as expected. This state is typically broken into seven distinct dementia symptom phases (about which we recently wrote a blog post). It’s worth noting these phases can span years, with symptoms ranging throughout.
However, in some cases, dementia symptoms may appear rather suddenly. This can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- Infection
- Complications relating to anesthesia
- Medication side effects
What makes dementia worse comes down to a body not getting what it needs to hold memory loss at arm’s length. This could be:
- Deficiencies,
- Poor nutrition,
- Physical inactivity,
- Unresolved injuries or medical complications,
- And more.
Dehydration and sleep problems can also worsen dementia symptoms. And some ask us, “Can stress make dementia worse?” The answer is yes. These can all have a physiological effect on brain and body alike. And remember, physiological triggers are just as important as situational ones.
When offering support to a dementia sufferer, it’s imperative that you maintain a routine for your daily activities. Noting symptoms as they occur is crucial here. This will:
- help you notice when and how they develop,
- help inform your medical team when an intervention is needed,
- will note larger or more unexpected swings in capability, and
- will keep your caregiver stress at bay as well.
Triggers for a Sudden Worsening of Dementia Symptoms
Situational changes can also trigger a patient’s dementia decline. This includes instances such as:
- Routine or situational changes
- Changes in caregiving providers
- Hospitalization
Thankfully, many of these situational triggers can be avoided with help from routine, standardized care. And that care may well be closer than you think.
Find the Memory Care Your Loved One Needs and Deserves
At Summerfield of Redlands, we offer premier memory care to residents suffering from memory issues. Our connected and supported community receives top-tier care with helpful activities. Each element of the routines we provide here helps to keep the symptoms of dementia at bay.
We do so by ensuring the four Rs of memory care. Namely: reassure, reconsider, redirect, and relax. Each are built into every interaction and bit of programming we offer.
Here, residents find a sense of comfort and home as they meet with trained professionals who understand what can make dementia get worse.
If your loved one has experienced a sudden worsening of dementia symptoms, consider Summerfield of Redlands. Our doors are open should you and your family wish to take a tour.