Alzheimer’s is an incurable degenerative disease that causes the disruption of neural transmissions between cells in the brain. This is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 64% of the dementia cases. The majority of people with this disease are 65 and older. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late stage onset, one may lose the ability to carry through with a conversation. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death. Those with the disease live an average of 8 years after their symptoms become noticeable, but survival can range from 4 – 20 years depending on age & health condition. Although there is no cure, some treatments can slow the worsening of the symptoms and improve the quality of life.
FOUR STAGES OF ALZHIEMER’S
Stage 1 – Pre Dementia – is a mild reduction in abstract thinking, attentiveness, and flexibility along with some memory loss
Stage 2 – Early Dementia – is a greater change in learning and memory, shrinking vocabulary, decrease word fluency and difficulty reading and writing. Families start working with medical professionals and social care and learn how to best deal with the progress of the disease. At this point families start looking at a long term care facilities.
Stage 3 – Moderate Dementia – the person can no longer perform most common activities of daily living. Memory loss is very pronounced, motor skills are disrupted, impairment of vocabulary, reading, and writing skills; loss of long term memory & recognition, and may develop habits of wandering, irritability, and outbursts of aggression.
Stage 4 – Advanced Dementia – the sufferer is now over-whelmed by memory and speech loss, extreme loss of emotion or enthusiasm, and exhaustion. Mobility and muscle mass are lost to the point that they will become bedridden and dependant on round-the-clock care.
Memory Loss – forgetting important appointments and dates and repeating questions.
Difficulty Planning & Solving Problems – may be more noticeable if your family member has difficulty following plans. Working with numbers may also become hard especially when it comes to monthly bills or balancing a check book.
Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks – might have trouble concentrating. Routine tasks may take longer. Being able to drive safely may become an issue. If your family member gets lost while driving a common route, this may be a symptom.
Difficulty Determining Time or Place – losing track of dates and misunderstanding time as it occurs may become an issue. Planning for future events can become difficult as symptoms progress. Your family member may become more forgetful about where they are, how they got there, and why they are there.
Vision Loss – this may be as simple as difficulty reading or judging distance or determining colour while driving.
Difficulty Finding the Right Words – joining or initiating conversations may become difficult. May also interrupt others or talk about something completely irrelevant.
Decreased or Poor Judgement – this could involve poor judgement with money, like giving large amounts of money to telemarketers, or even doing or saying in appropriate things.
Difficulty Remembering where Things are – One may put things in unusual places and can’t re-think their steps to find them, or even misplace items and feel that someone has taken them.
Changes in Mood/Personality – the sufferer may often over-react to situations or on the inverse, might not fully grasp the severity of others. They may become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious.
Withdrawal from Social Activities – the sufferer may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities or sports. They may also have trouble keeping up with their favorite sports teams or remembering how to do a hobby.Staying Social The Reasons Visit MLP!