As time passes. It is difficult to place a patient with Alzheimer’s disease in a specific stage. However, symptoms seem to progress in a  recognizable pattern and these stages provided a framework for under-standing the disease. It is important to remember they are not uniform in every patient and the stages often overlap.

Symptoms

• Recent memory loss begins to affect job performance
• What was he or she just told to do?
• Confusion about places – gets lost on way to work
• Loses spontaneity, the spark or zest for life.
• Loses initiative – can’t start anything.
• Mood/personality changes – patient becomes anxious about symptoms, avoids people.
• Poor judgment – makes bad decisions.
• Takes longer with routine chores.
  Trouble handling money, paying bills.

Examples

• Forgets which bills are paid. Can’t remember phone numbers.
• Loses things. Can’t remember grocery list.
• Arrives at wrong time or place, or constantly rechecks calendar.
• Not the same personality – withdrawn, disinterested.
• Spends all day making dinner and forgets to serve several courses.
• Pays the bills three times over, or doesn’t pay for three months.

Symptoms

• Increasing memory loss and confusion
• Shorter attention span.
• Problems recognizing close friends and/or family.
• Repetitive statements and /or movements.
• Restless, especially in late afternoon and at night.
• Occasional muscle twitches or jerking.
• Perceptual motor problems.
• Difficulty organizing thoughts, thinking logically.
• Can’t find right words – makes up stories to fill in blanks.
• Problems with reading, writing and numbers.
• May be suspicious. irritable, fidgety, teary or silly.
• Loss of impulse control – sloppy – won’t bathe or afraid to bathe – trouble dressing.
• Gains and then loses weight.
• May see or hear things that are not there.
• Needs full-time supervision.

Examples

• Can’t remember visits immediately after you leave.
• Repetitive movements or statements.
  Sleeps often; awakens frequently at night and may get up and wander.
• Perceptual motor problems – Can’t follow written signs, write name, add or subtract.
• Suspicious – May accuse spouse of hiding things, infidelity; may act childish.
• Loss of impulse control – Sloppier table manners. May undress at inappropriate times or in the wrong place.
• Huge appetite for junk food and other people’s food; forgets when last meal was eaten, then gradually loses interest in food.

Symptoms

• Can’t recognize family or image of self in mirror.
• Loses weight even with good diet.
  Little capacity for self care.
• Can’t communicate with words.
• May put everything in mouth or touch everything.
• Can’t control bowels, bladder.
• May have seizures, experience difficulty with swallowing, skin infections.

Examples

• Forgets which bills are paid. Can’t remember phone numbers.
• Loses things. Can’t remember grocery list.
• Arrives at wrong time or place, or constantly rechecks calendar.
• Not the same personality – withdrawn, disinterested.
• Spends all day making dinner and forgets to serve several courses.
• Pays the bills three times over, or doesn’t pay for three months.