A progressive disease, Alzheimer’s stages fall into mild, moderate, and severe categories. Here, learn more about these stages and what they entail to help your Alzheimer’s care efforts for a loved one. The better prepared you are for each stage, the more you can help the individual manage the symptoms and retain a higher quality of life.

Mild (Early)

In the early stages of the disease, a person may not display any external symptoms. A brain scan may show plaque buildup, but the individual still behaves normally and retains their independence. As the mild phase progresses, the loved one will start forgetting aspects, such as where they put their keys or have trouble remembering the names of people and places.

Memory lapses often put a strain on work and social situations or make planning activities challenging. Organization skills frequently decline during this stage as well, with the individual also misplacing commonly used items.

Moderate (Middle)

Alzheimer’s patients typically experience the middle stage of the illness the longest. Your loved one may be unable to recall events from their personal history or those of close family members, and experience difficulties with daily activities. These symptoms, along with others, such as the inability to remember current events or handle finance-related tasks, can cause irritability and mood swings.

Other moderate symptoms include problems remembering the date and time, sleep issues, wearing the wrong clothes for the season, problems ordering food at restaurants or cooking meals at home, and wandering issues without more intensive Alzheimer’s care.

Severe (Late)

Late stages of Alzheimer’s include even more significant memory loss, such as the inability to recognize family members and close friends. The loved one may feel confused often and experience judgment issues that make daily tasks, such as cooking, bathing, and dressing, difficult.

Awareness of their current surroundings and events as recent as a few hours or days ago also decreases, as does the ability to communicate. Behavioral changes are also common during this stage, such as not recognizing a family member and becoming angry or suspicious. Late-stage patients generally require 24/7 Alzheimer’s care to prevent wandering and unintentional self-harm. 

If you have a family member requiring Alzheimer’s care services, contact Visiting Angels in Lexington, KY. Compassionate Alzheimer’s care is among the many elder care services available from caregivers who are dedicated to helping families with their aging loved ones. Call (859) 223-0398 today to discuss your family member’s needs or learn more about senior care services online. Get the latest caregiver tips and information on Facebook.