STAGES OF ALZHEIMER’S

Alzheimer's disease is a cruel disease that gets hold of a loving grandparent or your parents and takes them away from your lives while they are still alive. Imagine the shock of finding out one day that your loved one doesn’t remember you anymore. And he or she is not the one to blame, its Alzheimer’s.

There are 7 stages through which the patient progresses in Alzheimer’s and they may differ from person to person. During the first stage, you may hardly find any difference in the patient. There will be no impairment meaning that it will be a normal functioning body. Even a health care professional may not be able to diagnose him at this stage. The patients simply ignore the occasional forgetfulness ascribing it to old age.

The second stage is also not a noticeable stage. The patient may be experiencing some lapses in memory or some other cognitive problems. He might forget day-to-day routine things occasionally – like he may forget the place of his work, the place where he keeps the keys of his car, the names of his colleagues to whom he talks daily and like.

The third stage is more noticeable for others and known as noticeable cognitive decline stage. He may have a steep decline in his performance at work and even at home things may become difficult for him to deal with. He may even forget where he parked his vehicle. Things like planning, organizing and executing may become impossible for him. Even at this stage, the doctor may not diagnose such disease as Alzheimer’s.

The fourth stage is of moderate cognitive decline stage. A medical examination can reveal deficiencies in the performance of an individual. He may not be able to recollect recent events and even paying bills may become a difficult task for him now. The individual becomes subdued and may become socially withdrawn.

The fifth stage of moderately severe cognitive decline shows major gaps in memory. He may be unable to do his daily activities without other’s help. Days, months and seasons may seem to confuse him now. He may not be able to recollect his current place of stay or his phone number.

The sixth stage of severe cognitive decline is a mid-stage in the Alzheimer’s. The person shows considerable change in his personality and he may need extensive help from others. They may be able to remember familiar faces, yet at times they may forget the names of their kids or even their spouse. The day and night cycle may be disrupted for them. At this stage, the patient will start to experience increasing episodes of urinary or fecal incontinence.

During the last stage of Alzheimer’s, patient loses his ability to respond to the environment, his ability to speak or to even simply control his own movements. They become totally dependent on the caregiver.

This stage division helps you to understand the various stages of Alzheimer’s. Recognize any potential symptoms in your friends or family and help them to deal with it better.