Stage 3. Impaired Reasoning: The Cognitive Maze
As dementia progresses to its middle stage, another symptom to surface is the noticeable impairment in reasoning and cognitive skills. It isn’t just about forgetting dates or misplacing things anymore. The disease now begins to gnaw at the person’s ability to think, reason, and make judgments.
The reasoning impairment might start as simple indecisiveness or confusion while performing a task. However, as dementia intensifies, the individual may find it challenging to understand simple instructions or follow a series of steps. For instance, a recipe that was once easy to follow can become an insurmountable challenge.
This symptom also reflects in the person’s decision-making abilities. The individual might struggle with making choices about their daily tasks or even face difficulties in responding to everyday problems. A task as simple as deciding what to wear can turn into a significant challenge, adding to the daily frustrations. (3)
