Stages Of Alzheimer's Essay

During the onset of the disease, symptoms are usually non-existant, and progress slowly over the course of many years, often going unnoticed until they become more severe. Alzheimer's is somewhat difficult to diagnose, but there are some common symptoms to all patients. Memory loss occurs in all patients. The person may have trouble remembering small things such as phone numbers, or where he/she put the keys. Eventually, short term memory is lost, and only memories in the far past are able to be recalled. People with Alzheimer's can become disoriented and can get lost easily when out on their own. Mood changes also occur, and the person can be easily irritated or agitated by seemingly insignificant things. Cognitive deterioration also occurs, with the person losing the ability to understand spoken language or recall the meanings of different words (Grayson, "Recognizing Alzheimer's" 1). Despite these common symptoms, making a diagnosis is difficult since Alzheimer's patientscan display the same symptoms as a head injury or depression.

Later in the course of the disorder, affected individuals may become confused or disoriented about what month or year it is, be unable to describe accurately where they live, or be unable to name a place being visited. Eventually, patients may wander, be unable to engage in conversation, erratic in mood, uncooperative, and lose bladder and bowel control. In late stages of the disease, persons may become totally incapable of caring for themselves. Death can then follow, perhaps from pneumonia or some other problem that occurs in severely deteriorated states of health. Those who develop the disorder later in life more often die from other illnesses (such as heart disease) rather than as a consequence of Alzheimer's disease

writing. There has been known cases of people with Alzheimer’s who become anxious, aggressive and wander away from home (Wallace, 1998). These individuals have a severe case of the disease and must be taken care of on a daily basis. Alzheimer’s progresses and affects individuals differently. Many signs are shown in the individual with the disease, which allows you to classify which stage the individual is in. Some of the signs to look for are, difficulty learning and retaining new information, reasoning and abstract thought, judgment and planning, poor language skills, inhibition and impulse control and short term memory loss (Wallace, 1998). If any or all of these signs occur, the individual most likely has Alzheimer’s.

The severe case is when plaques and tangles speed through your brain. During this time, the victim’s brain tissue shrinks, causing communication difficulties. When one reaches the final stage of Alzheimer’s, he or she becomes completely dependent on others for care. Eventually a person with Alzheimer’s remains bed bound most of the time and the body slowly shuts down (“Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet” 3).

A person can be stuck in this stage for up to 7 years. The first couple of years are still very mild but after about 4 years, symptoms will become more evident. Here there are more symptoms than the ones previously mentioned. For individuals who are still working, they will start to see their performance slowly decline. Learning new skills during this stage gets very difficult as there is a decrease of concentration. (Reisberg, B. 2017) Driving or directing in general may dwindle due to forgetting familiar routes to get to different places. Usually doctors can start to conduct a further examination of Alzheimer's disease towards the end of the third stage. Individuals can experience different emotions such as anxiety, denial and stress. Counseling is highly advised as a way to help care for a patient with this disorder. (Ellis, M. E., & Higuera, V. 2016, November 21) The last known stage of early Alzheimers is stage 4 (Mild Alzheimer's disease). Typically, mild Alzheimer's lasts about 2 years. This stage is usually where doctors can diagnose a patient with Alzheimer's. Symptoms are more clearer in stage 4 with other symptoms involved. Many start

In the mild stage of Alzheimer’s the symptoms could include: difficulty coming up with the right name, problems remembering names when meeting new people, difficulty performing tasks, forgetting material you’ve just read, losing and misplacing objects, and trouble planning and organizing things. The second stage is moderate Alzheimer’s disease which is the middle stage. It is known to be the longest stage and can carry over for many years. As the disease continues, the person affected with the Alzheimer 's disease will require more care. Symptoms include: forgetting about their own history, feeling moody, not being able to remember phone numbers or their name, confusion on what day it is, problems controlling their bladder, changes in their sleep patterns, and becoming lost. The last stage is severe Alzheimer’s. People lose the ability to respond to their environment, to hold a conversation and, to control movement. Symptoms include: require assistance full time daily, having difficulty communicating, become vulnerable to infections like pneumonia, and changes in physical abilities like walking, talking, and swallowing. There is no cure for Alzheimer 's but drug and non-drug medicines may help with all the symptoms.

Alzheimer’s Dementia has seven stages. Stage one is no impairment or normal function. Stage two is very mild cognitive decline. This stage can be the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s or age-related changes such as forgetfulness. Stage three is mild cognitive decline. This is when doctors can diagnose the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. Common stage three difficulties include trouble remembering names, greater difficulty completing or staying on task, and increased trouble with organizing and planning. Stage four is moderate cognitive decline. Symptoms in this stage become more clear such as forgetting recent events, becoming moody or withdrawn, and greater ability to perform complex tasks. Stage five is moderately severe cognitive decline or mid-stage Alzheimer’s. During this stage the patient may not be able to remember his or her address or telephone number and become confused about where he or she is and what day it is. The patient will still be able remember significant details about his or her family and past. Stage six is severe cognitive decline. During this stage memory continues to worsen and personality changes may begin to take place. This stage also includes wandering, changes in sleep patterns, incontinence, and remembering names of family members. The final stage is seven: very severe decline or late-stage Alzheimer’s. In this final stage the patient will lose his or her ability to respond, have a

One of the signs that were new to me was understanding visual and spatial relationships. I did not realize that it was the lack of spatial abilities that cause Alzheimer patients to have trouble while driving. Another warning sign that was new to me, is withdrawal from work or social activities. The withdrawal is due to the fact that the individual cannot keep up with certain social situations. It is hard to identify Alzheimer’s because it can be easily confused with aging. There’s a lot of similarities between natural aging and Alzheimer’s. However, Alzheimer’s seems to be a more aggressive form of aging.

Preview of Main Points: Alzheimer’s disease adversely affects the patient’s brain, behavior, and daily life.

Early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s are Memory problems which are typically one of the first signs of cognitive impairment. As it progresses in the second stage they start wondering and getting lost, issues with handling money, and repeating questions. During the Moderate stage damage will start to control the brain such as language, processing, reasoning, and conscious thought. Some symptoms include problems recognizing family and friends, inability to learn, and impulsive

Everyday life for a person suffering this disease can be frustrating at times. Most people that have it don’t even realize that they do. The people around them start to notice the differences in their personality and behavior. Alzheimer’s affects people from age 65 and up. This means that it’s a disease that happens to develop from old age. Up to five percent of people with

Alzheimer's is most common in people over the age of 65, and approximately 200,000 people under the age of 65 have early-onset Alzheimer's. The disease Alzheimer's worsens over time, it is a progressive disease. There are 7 stages in the progression of Alzheimer's. The first stage is ‘No Impairments. This is the stage where the disease is not detectable, there are no symptoms. The second stage is the ‘Very Mild Decline'. This is where the patient may begin to notice. The third stage is the ‘Mild Decline'. The mild decline is where friends and family begin to notice the patient has memory and cognitive problems. They begin having difficulty remembering names and dates. The fourth stage is the ‘Moderate Decline'. They have noticeable symptoms

     The first signs of Alzheimer’s disease include difficulty in remembering recent events and performing familiar everyday tasks. As the disease progresses, the affected person may experience confusion, personality and behavior changes, impaired judgment, and difficulty finding words, finishing thoughts, or following directions. In the early and middle stages of AD, people with the illness may be painfully aware of their intellectual failings and what is yet to come. These changes occur at widely varying speeds in different people, and not all changes occur in everyone, but the outcome is always the same. Eventually, people with Alzheimer’s disease completely lose the ability to care for themselves and must be confined to bed with constant care. In the latest stages of disease the brain can no longer regulate body functions, and victims die of malnutrition, dehydration, infection, heart failure, or other complications. Alzheimer’s disease progresses slowly, taking between three to eighteen years to advance from the earliest symptoms to death; the average duration of the disease is eight years. Unfortunately, science has not yet found a cure.

Furthermore, pay attention to these specific symptoms of the ten symptoms from above, it can help in noticing the signs of Alzheimer’s. The first symptom is memory loss that causes issues in your daily life. This occurs in the circumstance where one blanks out or forgets what they were going to say or go (Alzheimer’s Association 2018). Another symptom is the difficulty in completing familiar activities at home or work. In addition, being unable to differentiate time, place, or people is also a symptom that can indicate early signs of Alzheimer's. Furthermore, if you or anyone that you know have issues with speaking or writing words or misplacing items, then it can be considered signs of Alzheimer's. Lastly, being distanced from others or changes in mood can further indicate the possibility of Alzheimer's as it displays a behavior that is deviant. Being able to notice these patterns can help others detect the symptoms of Alzheimer’s before it becomes too severe to

Its estimated that about 4.5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s which usually develops after age 60 but can develop at any age before 60 known as Early Onset Alzheimer’s. Everyone who develops Alzheimer’s will experience it differently. The deterioration usually follows a similar path from the beginning through the end. Some experts follow the three-stage model of early stage, moderate stage and severe or the end stage. The Alzheimer’s Association and many healthcare providers follow a seven-stage model to help people better understand the regression as Alzheimer’s progresses through the brain.