Many people know by now that Alzheimer’s doesn’t just happen one day, it is a progressive disease. There are different stages of Alzheimer’s. There are typically three stages they are: mild (early-stage), moderate (middle-stage), and severe (late-stage). Because everyone has different experiences with the disease each stage can be described differently. Certain stages can be better or worse for each person.
An individual suffering from the mild stage will most likely still be independent. What do I mean by independent? The individual will still be living at home, driving, and being socially active. However, the individual may struggle coming up with a name, remember information that was just presented to them, and misplacing objects to name a few. The mild stage is often hard to diagnose because people without Alzheimer’s often forget the same things.
The moderate stage is the usually the longest stage and can last for many years. At this stage a person will need a greater level of care. At this stage people will often forget their personal history, feel moody, confusion of what day it is, or where they are at. Many will need to go to a rest home or need someone to watch them at all times. In many cases the diagnosed will wander off and get lost. Wandering off is one of the worst things because they could be severely hurt.
The last stage of Alzheimer’s is severe or the late stage. The is the worst stage of Alzheimer’s and one of the hardest for family and friends to watch. During this stage the individual loses complete control of movement. They are more at risk to diseases such as a cold or sinus infection. When someone reaches this stage they will not be able to carry on a conversation. When this stages comes upon, they will need constant assistance with everyday things.
No matter what stage of Alzheimer’s someone is going through it is still hard to deal with. Everyone hopes that their loved one stays in the mild stage the longest, but unfortunately that is not always the case. All people can do for this disease as of right now is wait and hope someone finds a cure soon. It always makes it easier for the diagnosed individual if they have a support system consisting of family and friends.