When memory and thinking change, one of the first questions families ask is “how far along is this?” This free navigator asks 10 questions about everyday abilities and maps the pattern to the seven-stage framework doctors use (the Global Deterioration Scale), then builds a stage-matched care checklist you can print and take to a medical appointment. It runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is saved, sent, or shared.
This is an educational planning tool, not a medical test. It cannot diagnose dementia or assign a true clinical stage — only a clinician who examines the person can. If confusion appeared suddenly, over hours or days, seek medical care now.
What this navigator is — and what it isn't
Doctors describe dementia progression with staging frameworks, most commonly the seven-stage Global Deterioration Scale. This tool asks original, everyday-life questions and tells you which stage the overall pattern most resembles — so families can plan realistically and talk to doctors specifically. It is not the clinical GDS assessment, it borrows nothing from copyrighted instruments, and no online questionnaire can stage a person's disease. A single answer never sets the result: the estimate reflects the most advanced changes reported in more than one area of life.
Your answers never leave this page. There is no account, no email capture, and nothing is stored — close the tab and it's gone.
When to skip the questions and call a doctor
- Sudden confusion that developed over hours or days — possible infection, stroke, or medication reaction; seek same-day care.
- New confusion after a fall or a new medication.
- Safety incidents — a stove left on, wandering, getting lost, large unexplained withdrawals.
Medical disclaimer: HelpDementia.com provides educational information only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or qualified health provider with any questions about a medical condition.
Medicare covers a dedicated cognitive assessment and care-planning visit (CPT code 99483) roughly once every 180 days — it includes staging, safety review, and a written care plan, and no referral is required.