| Alzheimer's disease is an illness that sneaks in and | | | | easy mental arithmetic, decreased ability to plan |
| attacks a victim without warning. Once it | | | | events such as dinner, decreased memory of |
| establishes its foundation it slowly robs the victim | | | | personal history, and social withdrawal from close |
| of time, energy, function, and perhaps the most | | | | friends.Stage FiveModerate to severe cognitive |
| precious thing of all, memories.It seems the old | | | | decline. This is also called moderate or main stage |
| adage, "No one can take this from you," doesn't | | | | Alzheimer's disease. Memory deficits are much |
| hold true anymore. Alzheimer's disease starts with | | | | more severe during this stage. The health care |
| mild symptoms, and slowly progresses and | | | | provider can usually detect Alzheimer's disease |
| interferes with everyday functioning and even | | | | very easily during this stage. Common symptoms |
| impairs simple judgment and movement.The | | | | include inability to recall important details in |
| seven stages of Alzheimer's disease have been | | | | personal life such as address or phone number, |
| documented in correspondence directly with | | | | counting backwards, difficulty in choosing clothing |
| underlying nerve cell degeneration. The damage to | | | | for the season or current weather conditions, |
| nerve cells began to affect the victim with | | | | forgetting where common items are placed such |
| memory and learning. Nerve cell damage gradually | | | | as car keys, television remotes, and other items |
| affects every day thinking, judgment, and | | | | used commonly.Stage SixSevere cognitive deficits. |
| behavior. Alzheimer's disease is unique in that it | | | | This is also called moderate to severe or main |
| does not manifest itself with the same symptoms | | | | stage Alzheimer's disease. Memory difficulties are |
| in every victim. Many times, a person diagnosed | | | | worse than stage five. Individuals' personalities are |
| with Alzheimer's disease will not show signs of | | | | affected and they may begin to withdraw or |
| their illness for years after diagnosis. Survival of | | | | manifest severe personality changes or disorders. |
| victims once diagnosed, can be anywhere from | | | | The health care professional will commonly detect |
| three to twenty years. Medical science has | | | | inability to recall current events and events that |
| established a Global Deterioration Scale, which | | | | took place in the last three months, inability to |
| corresponds directly with underlying nerve cell | | | | recall personal history, inability to recognize close |
| damage that takes place with Alzheimer's | | | | family members consistently, inability to dress for |
| disease.Global Deterioration ScaleStage OneNo | | | | current weather conditions, and difficulty or |
| signs of impairment. During this stage, individuals | | | | inability to perform personal hygiene tasks. The |
| will typically show no signs of memory or | | | | individual may also show signs of wandering, or |
| impairment of judgement. They present no | | | | hallucinating intermittently.Stage SevenVery |
| evidence of Alzheimer's disease to the health care | | | | severe cognitive deficits. This is also called severe |
| professional.Stage TwoMild cognitive impairment. | | | | or late stage Alzheimer's disease. This is the final |
| Individuals in this stage will typically present with | | | | stage of Alzheimer's disease and manifests itself |
| very mild symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. | | | | in individuals with inability to respond properly to |
| Symptoms during this stage will typically manifest | | | | their environment, inability to speak properly, |
| themselves with short memory lapses, such as | | | | inability to complete coordinated muscle |
| forgiving everyday items such as car keys, and | | | | movements. The health care provider will also |
| television remotes. It is difficult to detect | | | | commonly detect an individual's inability to speak |
| symptoms at this stage for the health care | | | | clearly, recall current events, recognize close |
| professional.Stage ThreeThis is the stage where | | | | family members consistently, inability or severe |
| individuals began to show consistent signs of | | | | difficulty with walking or transferring, and inability |
| Alzheimer's disease to family, and may be easily | | | | to swallow.The Global Deterioration Scale is a |
| detected by the health care professional. | | | | system developed by medical professionals and |
| Detecting Alzheimer's disease during this stage will | | | | helps to categorize each individual in a certain |
| usually be noticed by close family members, or | | | | stage of this unique disease. Proper diagnosis and |
| the closest of friends of the individual. Common | | | | determination of which stage an individual may be |
| symptoms during this stage may be forgetting | | | | in is critical to the proper care of the individual. |
| simple short passages of reading material, | | | | The improvement and rehabilitation of each |
| misplacing common everyday items, decrease in | | | | individual is dependent upon proper diagnosis and |
| ability to organize and plan events, difficulty in | | | | placement within the proper stage. Some |
| remembering names of new people, and not | | | | individuals have been documented to show some |
| finding the right words during discussions with | | | | level of improvement with proper |
| other people.Stage FourModerate cognitive deficits. | | | | intervention.William Riopelle, MS PT, is a senior |
| This is also called mild or early stage Alzheimer's | | | | physical therapist with over twelve years |
| disease. During this stage a health care | | | | experience working with people in the area of |
| professional will detect deficiencies and knowledge | | | | Home Health. |
| of recent current events, difficulty to perform | | | | |