2014, Blog Posts, October 2014

What are the Seven Stages of Alzheimer’s, 10/19/14

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Hello,

     To all of you following the next fourteen days of, “Alzheimer’s Tips, Medical Do’s and Don’ts

and more,” and to those just starting Welcome.  As mentioned in yesterday’s post, this Day II

of our event which will end on November 1, 2014 when we complete the, Walks to End

Alzheimer’s 5K. I am going to try and take you through the various stages of Alzheimer’s and

would like to get to providing treatments, medications, Eastern Medicine, Western Medicine

and of course as with any treatment plan or physical fitness plan,

“Please, Speak With Your Physician First!!”  

 

     Today’s blog is going to cover, “The Seven Stages of Alzheimer’s.” They stages begin with,

“No impairment” and flows from stage to stage ending with “Very severe cognitive decline

(Severe or late-stage Alzheimer’s disease)”.  Below are the seven stages and a brief description

of each. 

Stage 1: No impairment (normal function)
The person does not experience any memory problems. An interview with a

medical professional does not show any evidence of symptoms of dementia.

String on Finger 
Stage 2: Very mild cognitive decline (may be normal age-related changes or earliest signs

of Alzheimer’s disease)
The person may feel as if he or she is having memory lapses — forgetting familiar words

or the place of everyday objects. But no symptoms of dementia can be detected during

a medical examination or by friends, family or co-workers.

 

 

Stage 3: Mild cognitive decline (early-stage Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed in some, but not

all, individuals with these symptoms)
Friends, family or co-workers begin to notice difficulties. During a detailed medical interview, doctors may be able to detect problems in memory or concentration. Common stage 3 difficulties include:

  • Noticeable problems coming up with the right word or name
  • Trouble remembering names when introduced to new people
  • Having noticeably greater difficulty performing tasks in social or work                settings Forgetting material that one has just read
  • Losing or misplacing a valuable object
  • Increasing trouble with planning or organizing

Stage 4:   Moderate cognitive decline (Mild or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease) 
At this point, a careful medical interview should be able to detect clear-cut        

                symptoms in several areas:

  • Forgetfulness of recent events
  • Impaired ability to perform challenging mental arithmetic
  • Greater difficulty performing complex tasks, such as planning dinner for

          guests, paying bills or managing finances

  • Forgetfulness about one’s own personal history
  • Becoming moody or withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally challenging situations

 

 

Stage 5: Moderately severe cognitive decline (Moderate or mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease)
Gaps in memory and thinking are noticeable, and people begin to need help with day-to-day activities. At this stage, those with Alzheimer’s may:

  • Be unable to recall their own address or telephone number or the high school or college from which they graduated
  • Become confused about where they are or what day it is
  • Have trouble with less challenging mental arithmetic; such as counting backward from 40 by subtracting 4s or from 20 by 2s
  • Need help choosing proper clothing for the season or the occasion
  • Still remember significant details about themselves and their family
  • Still need no assistance with eating or using the toilet
 

Stage 6:

  

Severe cognitive decline (Moderately severe or mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease)
Memory continues to worsen, personality changes may take place and people need extensive help with daily activities. At this stage, people may:

  • Lose awareness of recent experiences as well as of their surroundings
  • Remember their own name but have difficulty with their personal history
  • Distinguish familiar and unfamiliar faces but have trouble remembering the name of a spouse or caregiver
  • Need help dressing properly and may, without supervision, make mistakes such as putting pajamas over daytime clothes or shoes on the wrong feet
  • Experience major changes in sleep patterns — sleeping during the day and becoming restless at night
  • Need help handling details of toileting (for example, flushing the toilet, wiping or disposing of tissue properly)
  • Have increasingly frequent trouble controlling their bladder or bowels
  • Experience major personality and behavioral changes, including suspicious and delusions (such as believing that their caregiver is an impostor)or compulsive, repetitive behavior like hand-wringing or tissue shredding
  • Tend to wander or become lost

 

Stage 7: Very severe cognitive decline (Severe or late-stage Alzheimer’s disease)
In the last stage of this disease, people lose the ability to respond to their environment, to carry on a conversation and, eventually, to control movement. They may still say words or phrases.  At this stage, people need help with much of their daily personal care, including eating or using the toilet. They may also lose the ability to smile, to sit without support and to hold their heads up. Reflexes become abnormal. Muscles grow rigid. Swallowing impaired.

 **Information obtained here was found at:  http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp, 10/19/14

     Of course every person is different and the stages may not come in this exact sequence, which means

that different treatment plans may be necessary.  Please, from the beginning keep track of all necessary

information about the caree such as, medical information, medications, over the counter (OTC) medicines,

medicinal herbs, allergies, x-rays, CT scans, etc.  Keep you caree’s primary physician informed of any changes

so he/she can adjust the caree’s medications and/or treatment plans.  Here’s to everyone participating in the

Alzheimer’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, you’re amazing.  It takes people like you, donating your time, energy and

manpower and resources which allow scientists to work on coming up with a cure.  It may take a village to raise

a kid but it takes amazing people like you to help cure diseases.  Thank You All.

      On November 1, 2014 I will be participating in the 2014′ Walk To End Alzheimer’s 5K.  Donations to

help find a cure for this terrible disease are needed terribly, any amount is greatly appreciated.  Just                    

go to: http://alt.alz.org/goto/kreis64 and enter Kreis, Richard as the walker your sponsoring. 

                                                                                                                                                  Richard in New iCare Shirt, 062414                                                                                                                            

Thank you all in advance for everything,

Richard K.
PickYourPain@att.net
http://www.PickYourPain.org

 

AUTHORS BIO:
Richard is a trifecta caregiver, along with his wife he cares for himself, with Chronic Back Pain which he’s had for over 21 years.  He cares for his brother in-law, Robert who has dealt with Epilepsy his entire life now lives with Richard and his wife.  He also advocates for his mother who has various cardiac related issues, severe hearing loss and other medical issues.  You can read about his experiences with chronic pain and how he deals with his mothers and brother in-law’s issues on PickYourPain.org or at Caregiving.com.  He is also involved in several of Caregiving.com’s support groups and chat rooms, he is co-host of an internet based radio show about caregiving. Richard is also a patient adviser, board member for Intake.me which is working to improve the intake process at medical 
facilities.  Richard has three adult children who despite them having to deal with his medical issues growing up he says, “They have turned out better than I’d 
hoped for.”