How to care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, understanding its three stages and how it’s different from Dementia.
How it’s Different from Dementia
Alzheimer’s has often been confused with Dementia. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s is a specific disease. Dementia is not.
Source: alz.org
10 signs of Alzheimer’s
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusing time or place
- Difficulty understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- Trouble with finding the right words
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace their steps
- Decreased or poor judgement
- Withdrawal from activities
- Changes in mood or personality
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month — an opportunity to hold a conversation about the brain and share the fact that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are a major public health issue. Everyone who has a brain is at risk to develop Alzheimer’s, the only leading cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. During the month of June, the Alzheimer’s Association® asks people around the world to wear Purple and use their brains to fight Alzheimer’s disease.
Understanding the Three Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and How To Care For Patients With Alzheimer’s
STAGE 1 | MILD ALZHEIMER’S (EARLY STAGE)
In its early stages, friends and family may start to notice their loved one experiencing difficulty remembering things or some symptoms like:
1. Difficulty finding the right word
2. Forgetting what they just read
3. Not remembering people’s names
4. Difficulty performing routine tasks at work or socially
5. Losing or misplacing objects
6. Trouble planning or organizing
How To Care For Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease:
A caregiver’s role can be to provide support and companionship. The person with Alzheimer’s may need help with things like:
1. Appointments
2. Managing finances
3. Remembering names or words
4. Transportation
5. Planning and organizing
6. Keeping track of medication
It’s important to allow the person to maintain their independence as much as possible and keep communication open for when they do need assistance.
STAGE 2 | MODERATE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE (MIDDLE STAGE)
This is usually the longest stage and individuals can stay in this stage for several years. As the disease progresses, the need and level of care will become greater. People at this stage may start to confuse words, get angry or frustrated or act out in unexpected ways like:
1. Forgetting their own basic information.
2. Feeling moody or withdrawn.
3. Changes in sleep patterns
4. Forgetting events about their own life
5. Being confused on what day it is or where they are
6. Needing assistance picking out clothes that are appropriate for the season or occasion
7. Urinary and bowel incontinence
8. Wandering and getting lost
9. Personality and behavioral changes, including suspiciousness and delusions
How To Care For Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease:
Individuals at this stage may become frustrated and upset when they have difficulty remembering things or trouble with daily activities.
You will most likely have to adjust your daily routine to include more structure for the individual with Alzheimer’s. At this stage caregivers can:
1. Use a calm voice.
2. Respond to the person’s emotion, instead of the question. The individual may need reassurance.
3. Write out reminders if the individual can still read.
Practice patience and sensitivity with patients in this stage. They may become increasingly upset or frustrated as they lose more brain function as we as their independence.
STAGE 3 | SEVERE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE (LATE STAGE)
In the final stage of Alzheimer’s, personality changes may occur and individuals need increasing help with daily activities. They may still use words or phrases, but communicating emotion becomes difficult.
1. Changes in physical abilities, including the ability to walk, sit and swallow
2. Needing assistance with daily personal care
3. Not knowing their surroundings or recalling recent experiences
4. Increasingly difficulty communicating
5. Vulnerability to infections.
How To Care For Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease
Intensive around-the-clock care is usually required at this stage. The role of the caregiver is to preserve the quality of life and dignity of the individual. People in this stage will need help with most activities including eating, dressing, and even walking. At this stage, the world is mainly experienced through the senses. Caregivers can connect and help an individual by:
1. Playing his or her favorite music
2. Reading excerpts of their favorite books
3. Looking at old photos with them
4. Preparing a favorite meal
5. Brushing the person’s hair
6. Sitting outside together
Research shows that although some of their self may still remain, an individual in this stage is unable to communicate. Caregivers and loved ones may be able to connect on some level even in this stage of the disease.
Remember: Please remember that only a doctor can effectively diagnose which stage a person may be experiencing. You can visit (alz.org) for a doctor’s appointment checklist to assist with the evaluation and prepare a caregiver and their loved one with the right questions to be asked.
The caregiver can administer the Clock Test or the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at home to help identify the seriousness of the symptoms prior to a doctor’s appointment.
