| One of the most common forms of dementia, | | | | noticeable memory and cognitive problems, as |
| Alzheimer's disease stages progress towards | | | | well as personality changes. The afflicted |
| the death of the patient. This degenerative, | | | | person will often repeat questions, lose |
| debilitating neurological disorder is thus | | | | things, be disoriented and have ever more |
| far incurable. | | | | common disruptions in their mental faculties. |
| | | | They will experience a loss of their ability |
| Affecting the lives of anyone who encounters | | | | to understand or respond to language, both |
| the patient, the effects of the disease can | | | | written and verbal. Anger often crops up |
| be draining for the caregiver as well as the | | | | during this stage, and the frustration of the |
| patient. Three Alzheimer's disease stages are | | | | sufferer is understandable in this |
| generally agreed to exist, though some break | | | | Alzheimer's disease stage. |
| these three down into substages. | | | | |
| | | | Behavior changes are seen frequently in this |
| Forgetting names, including those belonging | | | | stage of Alzheimer's disease, and there will |
| to people and things are commonly seen in the | | | | be a sharp drop in their ability to take care |
| early stage of this disorder - and this is | | | | of themselves - they will begin to need help |
| when most patients are diagnosed. The first | | | | taking care of daily tasks like bathing and |
| thing to go, studies have shown, is the | | | | eating. |
| memory of smells. These memory lapses | | | | |
| increase in frequency along with the | | | | The last Alzheimer's disease stage is |
| progression of the disease. | | | | characterized by a near complete loss of the |
| | | | ability to function mentally and physically. |
| In the early stage, the patient is often | | | | The patient is essentially unrecognizable as |
| aware of his or her symptoms, but will often | | | | the person they were before the disease took |
| be in denial and try to find ways to cover | | | | hold of them due to the extensive brain |
| for their memory losses. This can lead to | | | | damage which has occurred by this time. |
| stress as they may be angry with themselves | | | | |
| for these lapses. It can also be because they | | | | Care is needed nearly around the clock in |
| know and fear what awaits them, for which | | | | this final Alzheimer's disease stage, which |
| surely they cannot be blamed. | | | | leads to the caregiver being utterly |
| | | | exhausted. Once reaching this stage, the |
| In the early Alzheimer's disease stage, the | | | | majority of patients will be receiving care |
| patient will have memory lapses though while | | | | from professionals at a hospital or hospice. |
| not insignificant, do not yet prevent them | | | | This is a difficult decision to be made by |
| from going about their daily life. The early | | | | the patient's loved ones. but continuing home |
| Alzheimer's disease stage can last quite some | | | | care will not change the progress of the |
| time, even years. | | | | disease, and will almost certainly have a |
| | | | deleterious effect on the caregiver at this |
| Upon arriving at the middle stage of the | | | | point. |
| disease, the patient will have some | | | | |