As we age there are certain diseases that become more and more of a possibility to suffer from. One of those diseases is Alzheimer’s. For someone who is taking care of an elderly parent it becomes very important to understand and recognize the different stages of the disease.
People who have Alzheimer’s typically go through a series of stages, in which symptoms gradually get worse. Not all people will go through these stages or progress at the same rate.
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Technically this is not considered a stage of Alzheimer’s and may not actually develop into the disease. Most people who develop Alzheimer’s will experience this stage of memory loss. The person will have significantly more trouble remembering simple things like where they put their car keys or familiar phone numbers. Requiring and retaining information will also become more difficult and increasingly noticeable to other people.
Early Stage Alzheimer’s
The first signs of this stage os the difficulty of completing multi-staged tasks like preparing a meal with many courses. The person suffering from this stage may become more and more withdrawn in social situations. Personality changes, anxiety or depression may become apparent at this stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
Middle Stage Alzheimer’s
At this stage assisted living may become necessary. The person will start to be unable to remember important information such as their own home address, the date or even the time. At this point it is very realistic that they will need help picking out their own clothes. Expressing irrational fears or become delusional are very common at this stage.
Late Stage Alzheimer’s
A person’s cognitive ability is seriously impaired at this stage of the disease. Help will be needed to perform such simple tasks as eating or using the bathroom. At this stage the person will no longer be able to walk without help, communicate or interact with their environment. The ability to recognize one’s loved ones will also be lost.
Progress is being made every day in understanding Alzheimer’s disease; Even so, there still is no cure for the disease. There are varieties of medications available on the market today that have been proven to slow the progress of the disease. Unfortunately the disease is still irreversible. Elder care help, treatment and support systems can improve the quality of life for the sufferer of this disease. Make sure your elder family member gets the care they require by consulting with a geriatric care manager.