Late Stage Symptoms of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is a growing problem for senior citizens all around the world. There is still no cure for the disease, but there are clear warning signs, which are split into distinct stages. The stages are as follows: Mild or Early Phase, which lasts two to four years; Moderate or Middle stage, which lasts two to 10 years; and the Severe or Late stage, lasting one to three or more years. Furthermore, the progression of Alzheimer's is arranged into diagnostic categories. There is a set of five to seven diagnostic criteria to help determine the nature of the disease. The survival rate for patients with late stage Alzheimer's is one to two and a half years. New medications are available to help slow the rate of the disease and the amount of harm done.

Late Stage Symptoms

The severe stage of Alzheimer's is extremely debilitating and cruel to the person suffering with the disease. The onset of the disease might not occur for twenty years and instead remains dormant in the patient --- but this scenario is very rare. When the last symptoms set in, the prognosis for survival becomes one to two and a half years.

Cognitive Changes

Common symptoms of the onset of late Alzheimer's include difficulty recognizing loved ones as well as significant places, and confusion concerning the past and the present. Places and family members will become indistinguishable from other places and people. Mood, behavior, and cognition all change during this stage. Hallucinations and delirium sometimes accompany mood disorders. The patient might also think that he is in another time era and sometimes attempts to speak to people from that era whether they are present, alive or dead.

Verbal Skills

There is a severe decline in verbal skills, including becoming mute. The patient will use highly punctuated speech and might simply groan or moan. Patients sometimes also use disjointed words and fragments of speech to communicate.

Bodily Functions

Problems with regulation of bodily functions are things such as incontinence, trouble swallowing, compromised immunity to illnesses, and the inability to care for oneself. Falls and immobility are also common. Patients are often severely vulnerable to infections and often die from simple illnesses or pneumonia.

Diagnostic Framework

Doctors also employ a framework of diagnostic symptoms to categorize late stage symptoms of Alzheimer's. The criteria for late stage Alzheimer's is strongly impaired cognition, thought processes and communication, Moans, yelps or mumbles are used primarily by patients. Bodily movement begins to slow down and it is difficult for the patient to move from place to place without the assistance of a cane, walker or another person. Food becomes much more difficult to swallow and the brain cannot interpret sensory input any longer. People with severe Alzheimer's can no longer respond to stimuli and environmental cues, such as someone starting a conversation with them, or someone using body language to communicate. The late stage is also characterized by frequent sleeping, becoming bedridden and sore. Seizures are also possible in this state.

Help Options

While there is still no cure for Alzheimer's disease, there are many new drugs on the market emerging with each passing year. Scientists continue to study the disease in the hope of manufacturing a cure. Until then the best way to help a loved one with Alzheimer's is to provide support, love, help, and to assist him with basic chores, dressing and bathing. The most important thing is to be there for him and show love.