Each person experiences dementia in their own way and will have different symptoms. Their journey will depend on many factors, including the type of dementia, the person's physical make-up and history, their emotional resilience and their support systems.
There is a great deal of variability in the progression of dementia, and no definite answers can be given to what the future holds. A person's abilities may fluctuate to some extent from day to day, or even within the same day.
Sometimes a noticeable decline can happen quickly; in other cases this may happen over a number of years.
It is important to remember not all of these features will be present in every person, nor will every person go through every stage. However it is a useful description of the general progression of dementia.
