Alzheimer’s The life expectancy of the average American is on the rise due to the advance in medications available as well as technological advances. With people living longer lives, Alzheimer’s has become a growing problem and long term care planning is necessary to deal with this phenomenon. Increases in Risk Only three percent of men and women have Alzheimer’s between the ages of 65 and 74. However, 24 percent of men who are 85 or older need long term care help with Alzheimer’s and 38 percent of women need help with Alzheimer’s. Symptoms Alzheimer’s causes nerve cell degeneration within the brain. This degeneration leads to the loss of memory in the early stages. Gradually, the disease spreads to other cells in the brain causing a person’s thinking, judgment, and behavior to be altered. The average Alzheimer’s patient lives eight years after diagnosis but patients have been known to live as long as 30 years after diagnosis. Stage One Symptoms are unique to individual cases but there are some abstract stages that most people can be categorized into. In the first stage, there are no cognitive impairments and individuals do not experience any symptoms. Stage Two The second stage is characterized by the individual forgetting the names of familiar places or people and the misplacing of everyday objects such as glasses or keys. During stage two, friends, family, or doctors do not see the presence of these mild symptoms. Stage three involves the further decline of the memory as other people begin to notice changes. Stage Three During stage three, individuals often misplace valuable objects and struggle to retain information effectively. Stage Four During stage four, social withdrawal can be seen and the person struggles to do everyday tasks that involve complex arithmetic or planning such as paying bills. Stage Five Stage five is characterized by the person losing memory of historical information about their personal life. Individuals begin to struggle with less complicated mathematical tasks and often are confused about the date or time of day. However, most people do remember their name and the names of close family members and do not require assistance in basic activities such as eating or dressing. Stage Six During stage six, individuals may remember their own name but often forget the names of family or friends. They need help with the most basic of activities such as bathing, eating, and dressing. Often, individuals become delusional and most need strict supervision. Stage Seven Individuals lose the ability to interact with their surroundings and become unable to speak or control their movements. Assistance becomes a necessity for all daily functions. |
