Alzheimer’s disease includes three basic stages
Primary Stage
Usually a person at the primary stage of developing the Alzheimer’s disease:
- Has a gradually increasing confusion about where he is, while he also shows a tendency to lose his way.
- Lacks the ability to start activities on its own initiative and without guidance.
- Avoids facing new, unfamiliar situations, such as going on a trip.
- Presents delayed reactions and reduced learning ability.
- Begins to speak much slower compared to the past.
- Troubles managing his finances and settle his bills.
- Introduces poor judgement and makes incorrect decisions.
- May become cyclothimic and show signs of depression, discomfort and anxiety.
These symptoms are usually more intense when a person is found in a new environment, or has to face an unusual or unfamiliar incident.
Middle stage
During the middle stage of the disease the sufferer:
- Faces difficulty in recognizing cloze friends or even family members.
- Is restless and wanders around.
- Faces difficulties with simple tasks like reading, writing and arithmetic.
- Troubles organizing his thoughts in a logical order.
- Finds it difficult to get dressed.
- Gets angry very easily while can become hostile and therefore unavailable for cooperation.
- Believes absurd things, is suspicious towards the others and irritable.
- Needs constant supervision.
- Loses the track of time.
Final stage
In the final stages of the Alzheimer’s disease, the patient presents the following symptoms:
- Is no longer able to have a bath, eat, get dressed or go to the toilet by himself.
- May be stuck in bed or in a wheelchair.
- Loses the ability of mastication.
- Loses easily his balance and may frequently fall down.
- Presents particularly great confusion at night and has insomnia.
- Cannot communicate verbally.
- Has urinary incontinence.