Advanced Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

15 Mar 2008 01:11 PM

Alzheimer's disease is divided into stages in order to help people understand the progression of the disease. We've already looked at the earliest stages -- from no cognitive impairment to the point where a diagnosis may occur. Now it's time to look at the next stages of the disease.

Stage 4 is what doctors may call "mild" or "early-stage" Alzheimer's disease. Symptoms of moderate cognitive decline can include:

• Decreased knowledge of recent events.
• Impaired ability to perform challenging mental math -- like counting backwards from 100 by sevens.
• Decreased ability to perform complex tasks, like planning a party or managing finances.
• Reduced memory of personal history.
• The person may withdraw or act quiet in social situations or mentally challenging situations.

That last one was a difficult one for my family. People who only saw my grandmother occasionally didn't see anything wrong because she would keep very quiet in public. It was only at home that we could see the cognitive decline in action.

At stage four, a medical interview can clearly find deficiencies in a person's mental capacity.

Stage 5 is what doctors call "moderate" or "mid-stage" Alzheimer's disease. At this point, the cognitive decline is moderately severe. Symptoms may include:

• Inability to recall details like current address or phone number, or the name of the college they went to.
• Confusion about date, season, or location. The person may need help choosing proper attire for a holiday or the time of year.
• Difficulty with less challenging mental arithmetic, like counting by twos or fours.

At this stage, the person will generally still remember a lot of details about him or herself and close family. They will probably not need help to eat or wash or use the bathroom. But major gaps in memory and the ability to function are noticeable in this stage. A person in stage 5 may need help with day-to-day activities.

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