Alzheimer's Disease Care: Important Information for Consumers

(888) 705-8048, http://alzheimerscaretoday.com, Valerie VanBooven RN BSN, Call or visit our site for your FREE GUIDE to Caring for an Aging Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Understanding The Three Stages and When To Start Home Care Services In people with Alzheimer’s disease, changes in the brain may begin 10 to 20 years before any visible signs or symptoms appear. Some regions of the brain may begin to shrink, resulting in memory loss, one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Over time, Alzheimer’s disease progresses through three main stages: mild, moderate, and severe. Because it is not easy to look inside a living brain to see the damage Alzheimer’s disease causes, these stages are characterized by a collection of signs and symptoms and behaviors the people with Alzheimer’s disease experience.

Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: Time to Consider In-Home Care People with mild symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease often seem healthy, but they are actually having trouble making sense of the world around them. It often takes time for an observer to realize that something is wrong because the initial symptoms are often confused with changes that take place in normal aging. Symptoms and early signs of Alzheimer’s disease may include:

Difficulty learning and remembering new information Difficulty managing finances, planning meals, taking medications on schedule Depression symptoms (sadness, decreased interest in usual activities, loss of energy) Difficulty with some activities such as driving a car Gets lost going to familiar places Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: Time to Implement Home Care Services In moderate Alzheimer’s disease, the damaging processes occurring in the brain worsen and spread to other areas that control language, reasoning, sensory processing, and thought. In this stage, symptoms and signs of Alzheimer’s disease become more pronounced and behavioral problems may become more obvious. Signs and symptoms of moderate Alzheimer’s disease may include:

Forgetting old facts Continually repeats stories and/or asks the same questions over and over Makes up stories to fill gaps Difficulty performing tasks Following written notes Using the shower and toilet Agitation, behavioral symptoms common Restlessness, repetitive movements Wandering Paranoia, delusions, hallucinations Deficits in intellect and reasoning Lack of concern for appearance, hygiene, and sleep become more noticeable Severe Alzheimer’s Disease: Time to Consider 24 hour Care In the advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease, damage to the brain’s nerve cells is widespread. At this point, full-time care is typically required. For friends, family, and Alzheimer’s caregivers, this can be the most difficult stage. People with severe Alzheimer’s disease may have difficulty walking, and they often suffer complications from other illnesses, such as pneumonia. Signs of severe Alzheimer’s disease may include:

Vocalizations such as groaning, screaming, mumbling, or speaking gibberish Behavioral symptoms Refuses to eat Inappropriately cries out Failure to recognize family or faces Difficulty with all essential activities of daily living

About The Author (888) 705-8048, http://alzheimerscaretoday.com, Valerie VanBooven RN BSN, Call or visit our site for your FREE GUIDE to Caring for an Aging Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease.