Stages of Alzhemer's Disease

There are several stages that associates with Alzheimer's disease. These stages show the different pattern's that one may experience while suffering form this mind altering disease. This staging system provide useful frames of reference for understanding how the disease may unfold and for making future plans. It is important to know that not everyone will experience the same symptoms or progress at the same rate. People with Alzheimer die an average of four to six years after diagnosis, but the duration of the disease can vary from three to 20 years. Within framework, it is noted that these stages consist of mild, moderate, moderately severe and sever Alzheimer's disease. It is also noted that which stages fall within the more general divisions of early-stage and late-stage categories.

Stage 1: No impairment ( normal function )

Unimpairment individuals experience no memory problems and none are evident to a health care professional during a medical interview.

Stage 2 : Very mild cognitive decline ( may be normal age-related changes or earliest sign of Alzheimer's disease)

Individuals may feel as if they have memory lapses, especially in forgetting familiar words or names or the location of keys,eyeglasses or other everyday objects. But these problems are not evident during a medical examination or apparent to 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 deficiencies. Problems with memory or concentration may be measurable in clinical testing or discernible during a detailed medical interview. Common difficulties include:

• Word-or-name-finding problems noticeable to family or close associates


• Decreased ability to remember names when introduced to new people


• Performance issues in social or work settings noticeable to family, friends or co-workers


• Reading a passage and retaining little material


• Losing or misplacing a valuable object


• Decline in ability to plan or organize

Stage 4 : Moderate cognitive decline ( Mild or early- stage Alzheimer's disease)

At this stage, a careful medical interview detects clear-cut deficiencies in the following areas:

• Decreased knowledge of recent occasions or current events


• Impaired ability to perform challenging mental arithmetic-for example, to count backward from 75 by 7s


• Decreased capacity to perform complex tasks, such as planning diner for guests, paying bills and managing finances


• Reduced memory of personal history


• The affected individual may subdued and withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally challenging situations

Moderately sever cognitive decline ( Moderate or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)

• Be unable during a medical interview to recall such important details as their current address,their telephone number or the name of college or high school from which they graduated


• Become confused about where they are or about the date, day of the week or season


• Usually retain substantial knowledge about themselves and know their own name and the names of their spouse and children


• Usually required no assistance with eating or using the toilet

Stage 6: Sever cognitive decline ( Moderately sever or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)

• Lose most awareness of recent experiences and events as well of their surroundings


• Recollect their personal history imperfectly, although they generally recall their own name


• Occasionally forget the name of their spouse or primary caregiver but generally can distinguish familiar from unfamiliar faces


• Need help getting dressed properly;without supervision,may make such errors as putting pajamas over daytime clothes or shoes on wrong feet


• Experience disruption of their normal sleep/waking cycle


• Need help with handling details of toileting ( flushing toilet, wiping and disposing of tissue properly)

Stage 7: Very severe cognitive decline ( Severe or late-stage Alzheimer's disease )

This is the final stage of the disease when individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment.

• Frequently individuals lose their capacity for recognizable speech, although words or phrases may occasionally be uttered


• Individuals need help with eating and toileting and there is general incontinence of urine


• Individuals loss the ability to walk without assistance, then the ability to sit without support, the ability to smile, and the ability to hold their head up. Reflexes become abnormal and muscles grow rigid. Swallowing is impaired.