Alzheimer’s disease is one terrible disease to deal with since it strikes a senior’s brain, robbing them off their treasured memories along with necessary functional skills. It can be heartbreaking, especially for caregivers who are forced to witness the patient’s decline. Caring for an elderly with dementia is like caring for a baby, only it’s backwards—instead of the person learning and gathering milestones, it’s losing those milestones one by one.
Frustrating as it is, doctors are finding ways to help caregivers understand Alzheimer’s disease better so that they will be able to deal with the condition properly. One of the developments introduced by the medical community with regard to Alzheimer’s disease is breaking it’s symptoms into stages.
According to experts, there are three main stages of Alzheimer’s disease: mild, moderate and severe. Since each stage involves years to progress, each has their own sub-stages too, making it more or less, 9 stages if the condition will run its full course and if no other health complication will arise. Experts believe that it is very important for the caregiver to be familiar of the stage their patient is currently in so that care and support will be much more accurate.
Doctors also believe that Alzheimer’s very first stage begins without any noticeable impairment. It means you are already experiencing the disease but not showing any symptoms and still functioning at your sharpest. Since there is no apparent sign of Alzheimer’s disease, there is no reason for you to consult your doctor hence no diagnosis can be made as of this point.
For the next stage, the senior will experience occasional memory lapses which he or she may or may not be aware of. Family and friends may notice repetition of told stories, comments and questions—can sometimes be word-for-word or with slight variations. As the disease progresses, it will become more often and obvious. The patient himself may sometimes find it hard to put words together or will have a hard time remembering people and places which can be attributed to aging.
During this point, the patient’s doctor can now detect traces of Alzheimer’s disease upon interview although the patient is most likely to refuse having the condition. Do take note that there is no known cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Being this far gone with the condition, the best you and your loved one can do is to accept the condition early on and seek help at once.
Moderate Alzheimer’s disease is marked by mood swings since remembering things now can be so frustrating. Depression may also set in so caregivers must take note of its signs. A senior experiencing moderate decline is most likely be forgetting events that happened during the day. Aside from that, simple, everyday tasks will be harder to accomplish. Mathematical problems will also be an obstacle for most seniors with moderate Alzheimer’s disease. At this point, the patient’s family should start planning for the patient’s care.
Severe Alzheimer’s disease will require every day help for the senior since the patient can no longer do household chores as well as attend to their personal care. There will also be changes in sleeping patterns. For caregivers, expect your patient to experience incontinence, both urinary and bowel. While the body may be functioning fairly normal, the patient’s behavior is now unpredictable.
Late stage Alzheimer’s disease is when the patient’s mind and body will no longer respond. The patient will now require round the clock help and care since simple tasks such as sitting up straight are quite impossible to accomplish by the patient by himself. A patient at this stage will need help in eating as their reflexes are now impaired and muscles are not anymore controllable. Caregivers must seek support, if not relinquish responsibility altogether, at this point for the benefit of the patient.
