Alzheimer's disease is a progressive yet weakening neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects elders, while anyone can experience it. The disease brings cognitive decline, memory loss, and an overall decline in brain function. Statistically speaking, over 6 million Americans across all ages have Alzheimer’s, and it is calculated that 500,000 new Alzheimer’s cases will be diagnosed this year. As Alzheimer’s has become a prevalent disorder, increased awareness about the condition is necessary to take proactive measures on time.
Let us discuss the disease’s signs and stages and how to care for Alzheimer’s patients.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease vary depending on people and the stages of the condition. However, memory decline is the onset of the condition, and it can look like difficulty finding the right word, impaired judgment or reasoning, and trouble understanding spatial relationships and visual images. As the condition progresses, symptoms may worsen, including behavioral changes and increased confusion.
Alzheimer’s disease progresses gradually, worsening over several years with different stages. In every stage, your brain function is affected significantly, and eventually, the condition affects most areas of your brain that, impair your cognitive functions, movement, and personality.
Here are different Alzheimer’s stages that help you understand how the disease causes varying symptoms depending on its progression:
Preclinical Alzheimer's is when the condition has begun long before without causing apparent symptoms. During this stage, one may experience brain changes but won’t develop symptoms or cognitive decline. This stage can last for decades.
Though cognitive changes are not noticeable, they can be found through imaging techniques, biomarkers, and genetic tests. These tests may detect the proteins, such as beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the presence of which is a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal levels of these proteins may signal an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's in the future.
All elderly people come across this mild cognitive impairment that includes difficulty concentrating, memory loss, etc. So, it does not mean they have Alzheimer’s disease, as MCI may also occur due to chronological aging. Though MCI won’t interfere with your daily activities, it is essential to be aware of whether it is because of normal aging or the precedence of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Common symptoms of MCI are:
Before proceeding to stage 3 of Alzheimer’s disease, you must understand the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s. While these terms are used interchangeably, they are different. Dementia is a severe memory decline that interferes with your daily activities, whereas Alzheimer's disease is a specific condition that causes dementia as a symptom. Alzheimer's disease becomes apparent when you exhibit mild dementia and related symptoms.
It is characterized by an evident downturn in your cognitive functions that your friends and family can easily notice. One progressing to stage 3 of Alzheimer’s may experience these cognitive changes:
It is characterized by increased forgetfulness and confusion, requiring assistance in completing daily activities and self-care. This stage can last for 2-4 years.
Symptoms of moderate dementia include:
This stage worsens the patient's mental and physical functioning, affecting their quality of life. Severe dementia increases a patient’s risk of developing lung problems, as they may have swallowing difficulties, so their foods and drinks may get into their lungs, causing problems such as pneumonia, aspiration, and lung infection.
Symptoms of severe dementia include:
Caregivers ensure that Alzheimer’s patients get the required attention, supervision, and care, offering them stability and independence. They create a structured environment to minimize confusion and assist with managing behavioral changes that often accompany these conditions. Additionally, caregivers update families on the patient's well-being, collaborate with healthcare professionals to adjust care plans and offer respite care options to ensure the patient’s and caregiver's overall well-being.
Caregivers for Alzheimer’s and dementia offer the following services to patients:
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