|
It's
quite normal - though perhaps a bit jarring - to see your grandma or
grandpa begin to have memory problems. They might forget your phone
number, or have to think twice while recalling a childhood memory. But
when should you worry? When do the memory troubles signify something
more disturbing, like Alzheimer's disease?
It's important to
understand and educate yourself about so many things in life, but
particularly something as devastating as watching a loved one succumb to
Alzheimer's. Knowing what to expect at each stage of the disease can go
a long way toward making it easier for you and other family members to
contend with.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, there are
seven stages of Alzheimer's, but not every person with Alzheimer's will
exhibit all the signs and some of the signs might be missed by friends
and family who chalk them up to simple aging, senile dementia, or
"grandpa being grandpa".
Here are the seven stages and what to look for in each stage.
The
first stage is really not a stage at all. This is when grandma or
grandpa has no signs of memory loss or any other signs of Alzheimer's.
The
second stage of Alzheimer's might look to family members like normal
signs of aging. Since we all lose a little of our memory as we get
older, this stage really looks like nothing more than normal aging.
The
third stage of Alzheimer's is characterized by what the Alzheimer's
Association calls mild cognitive decline. It's at this stage that a
doctor might see some signs of Alzheimer's and, depending on the
patient, might even be able to diagnose early-stage Alzheimer's. In this
stage, your grandma or grandpa might have trouble remembering the name
of someone they just met, or read something and retain very little of
what they've read. They might struggle for words or names in a way
that's obvious to others. But generally in this stage, it might still
seem that your loved one is just suffering normal effects of aging.
It's
really in the fourth stage of Alzheimer's that family and friends - and
doctors - might begin calling what looked like basic aging memory
complaints something more, and it's when the "classic" signs of
Alzheimer's become apparent. These symptoms or signs include forgetting
current events or recent experiences; an impaired memory of childhood,
personal experiences and the like; and having trouble with basic daily
tasks like paying bills, planning menus or completing an errand list.
It
can be hard to distinguish between the fifth and sixth stages of
Alzheimer's. In these later stages of the disease, simple daily tasks
become extremely difficult to perform. In the former stage (the fifth
stage), a patient might have a hard time recalling for a doctor their
address, schools they attended, or even their phone number. They might
choose the wrong clothing for the season or occasion they are dressing
for, or they will be confused about the date, season, or day of the
week. It's easy at this stage to consider these problems normal relative
to aging, but experts say it's important to consider they might be
signs of Alzheimer's.
In the sixth stage of Alzheimer's much more
cognitive ability is lost. It's hard for grandma or grandpa to recall
their personal history (though they will usually know their name at this
point); they might have difficulty recalling their spouse's name (but
they will generally still recognize faces); they need help with
toileting and other bathroom and personal care duties and will
experience disruption in sleep and wake cycles. It's also in this stage
that there's a risk of your loved one wandering off and becoming lost
and there's the potential of them becoming delusional or having
hallucinations.
Finally, the seventh stage of Alzheimer's is
arguably the most difficult for everyone involved. In this stage, your
loved one might lose the ability to speak, or respond to their
environment. You might think to bring grandma's favorite ice cream to
her, but she could likely forget she even likes ice cream.
Alzheimer's
disease can be a frightening thing for you and your loved one. But
knowing and being able to identify the stages of Alzheimer's is
important.
About the Author:
Dr. Beth Paxton is a general health practictioner providing helpful
information for families and patients with Alzheimer's Disease. http://www.doctors-advice.com/alzheimers/
Read more articles by: Beth Paxton
This article is distributed by: www.iSnare.com
|
