What stage?

What stage of Alzheimer's?

  • I don't want to think about this

    Votes: 14 4.0%
  • Stage 1

    Votes: 14 4.0%
  • Stage 2

    Votes: 6 1.7%
  • Stage 3

    Votes: 22 6.3%
  • Stage 4

    Votes: 50 14.2%
  • Stage 5

    Votes: 86 24.4%
  • Stage 6

    Votes: 108 30.7%
  • Stage 7

    Votes: 52 14.8%

  • Total voters
    352

Michael E

Registered User
Apr 14, 2005
619
0
Ronda Spain
Bit shocked to find Monique is at 6 more or less... been pretty downhill recently -

She was at 4 when we were in the USA and I was trying to fly her home alone a few years ago but had no idea she was ill....I think she was 5 when she was diagnosed 2 years ago -

We spent 18 months sailing back from Australia and I thought her lack of interest in anything and not participating was because she found it all so uncomfortable.... silly me -

6 out of 7 is not good.
 

SmogTheCat

Registered User
Sep 1, 2005
45
0
Italy
I think grandmother is at stage 6... sometimes she refuse his husband, yesterday she hurt him and we divided them.
Today she became aggressive and crazy as soon as we take her back home (to her husband)...
She is gelous too. If women who care them help grandfather she became very gelous and she has just refuse two od them sending them out of house!
 

fizz

Registered User
Oct 19, 2005
6
0
uk, mansfield
the link bruce gave isnt working for me, i would like to see the stages of alz
had anyone got another link?

thankyou fizz xxxxxxxxx
 

Mirium

Registered User
Oct 29, 2005
23
0
Surrey
Oh heck :eek: Until I looked at these defined stages I thought Mum was in the very early stages, since we haven't yet had a clear diagnosis, only a prescription for Aricept.

Looking at them now I would say 4/5. I voted 4 (perhaps to make me feel better!) but am inclined toward 5. It's difficult!!

Since finding TP a few days ago I have learned so much, Thanks everyone.

Mirium
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
0
near London
Hi Suzy1

it is a link to an Acrobat file, also known as a PDF [Portable Document File], rather than a web link.

To read it you need to have the Acrobat Reader installed on your PC. You can obtain this free of charge from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Technically, PDF files are a really good way of sending complex formatted documents to many people without losing the format. It is one of the most used and respected formats available. [no, I'm not on commission... ;) ]
 

cole

Registered User
Dec 4, 2005
4
0
derry,northern ireland
new to site

This is first time i ever new there were 7 stages to alzheimers.I have put my mum at stage7 and sadly this is the way she has been for the last 3 to 4 years.She got alzheimers at around 47 years of age and is now 65.
 

allylee

Registered User
Feb 28, 2005
180
0
60
west mids
Hiya Cole, do you know Ive worked in healthcare for over 20 yrs, have nursed my nan, and now my mum with AD, and until a few weeks ago didnt know about the stages either!! Ive had many consultations with psychiatrists and other members of the support team whove never mentioned it to me . Having read all I can , Ive put my mum at stage 5, but thats purely my opinion as her carer.
I wonder why its not discussed openly with us?
Ally xx
 
I

inmyname

Guest
Out of interest has anyone also correlated the stages with the timescale it takes the patient to go from 1 to 7

or whether the progression is faster in the very elderly than the very young
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
0
near London
I think you'll find that it varies with each patient.

I've never found anyone, medically qualified or not, who can give a prediction of anything after the diagnosis, other than that this or that symptom may or may not happen at some time.

I think there are so many variables - age, gender, physical make-up, mental make-up, physical and mental history, nature of work, nature of diet, smoking.non smoking, drinking/non-drinking, birth weight, genetic make-up, amount of physical exercise, amount of mental excercise, amount of pollution in locality, proximity to electric pylons, amount of stress, etc etc ... plus all the interactions between everything above, plus throw in the plethora of medications that may have been used.

My own observations lead me to believe that the Early Onset patients tend to progress more quickly, but that is only on a casual observation sample of a half dozen Early Onset patients, compared to three times that many over 65.
 

Tess

Registered User
Nov 29, 2005
22
0
I live in west wales
What stage

Hi everyone
This is my first post but I've gained so much information and a sense of support just by reading through TP. I've voted my Mum at 5 - I must say that it was scary reading through the seven stages. I always try to think of her being in the early stages (it's easier to cope with) but, deep down, I know that it's gone beyond that.
Tess
 

SallyB

Registered User
May 7, 2005
60
0
What Stage

Hi,

I think Dad is at stage 6 but it is difficult as he can still manage to learn some new tasks ie how to use an electric razor however he carn't cook for himself anymore.

Also he forgets names of people he as known for years but remembers that one of the carers left the door unlocked a few days ago!

He scores 12 on his mini mental exam when we see the specialist which i am told is quite low.

He has not managed his own finances for at least ten years.

It is impossible to have a 'chat' with him as he gets so muddled unless you are talking about things that he is remembering ie the war mind you he tends to elaborate, he met Elvis in Germanay! This i know is not true even though i would be pleased as i am a fan! Seriously i think he just registers who Elvis is as he sees a picture when he is with me.

Well sorry i am rambling a bit now, I would just like to add a thank you also to everyone on TP. I have only been posting this week. I started reading at the weekend as i have been finding it difficult to talk to people that know what i am going on about.

I feel like a different person now i realise that there are so many other people going through similar things.

Sally
 

Lynne

Registered User
Jun 3, 2005
3,433
0
Suffolk,England
Hi Sally, and welcome

SallyB said:
... he forgets names of people he as known for years but remembers that one of the carers left the door unlocked a few days ago!
Sally

and isn't THAT just typical! My Mum leaves the back door wide open when the central heating is on full-blast, but just let me leave a light on for 5 minutes ... and she remembers that for weeks!

If you didn't laugh sometimes :cool: , you'd cry.

Regards
 
Last edited:

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
1,342
0
Stages

How are the stages defined? I don't know whether my mother has Alzheimer's. Doctors say there's nothing wrong with her, but then ... they haven't tried spending 24 hours with her.

Lila
 

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
1,342
0
Having found the article I now think my mother's at stage 3. But of course varies a lot from day to day. And anyway, I don't know if it is Alzheimer's.

Lila
 

Kayla

Registered User
May 14, 2006
621
0
Kent
My mother doesn't seem to fit into the usual stages of dementia. She is 81 and has had severe rheumatoid arthritis since she was 55 and was medically retired through ill health. She led a fairly active life with gardening, dog walking, Church activities and WI including, Scrabble, word games and art. After my father's death six years ago she began to go downhill physically and it got worse when the dog died four years ago.
For several years she has been "vague" at times and often depressed. There have been periods of sickness and nausea, which everyone assumed were connected with the steroid drugs she has been taking for decades for the rheumatoid arthritis. About two years ago she began to have hallucinations and lost track of the concept of time. The doctor prescribed haliperidol tablets which seemed to help.
Last year she became unsteady on her feet and kept losing track of the time and forgetting her pills. (pain from the arthritis is terrible for her without medication) She had several falls and decided to go into a residential care home where she was really happy and her day was regulated by set meal times, which definitely helped her.
Unfortunately she fell and needed a half hip replacement, which meant she got too stiff waiting for the operation and she never got back on her feet because it was too painful. She lost weight, wouldn't feed herself and was thoroughly confused and distressed. The home couldn't cope with her any more and we had to move her to a nursing home with EMI. She can't walk, is incontinent and cries a lot. She is completely lost in time and thinks she is at home with her Mum and Dad.
Less than a year ago she was still in her own home.
Hospitals have a lot to answer for: no name tags on the beds, keeping elderly patients waiting for 48 hours for their operations and restricted visiting.
It is sad that a fall can render an old lady completely dependent on others. Last week she didn't know I was her daughter and thinks she has a dog in her room.
 

Amy

Registered User
Jan 4, 2006
3,454
0
Hiya Kayla,
I am so sorry to hear about your mum's rapid change, and I suspect that you found it difficult her not recognising you last week. It must be distressing for you to see her upset a lot. All I can say is that you are amongst friends here; none of us is walking your particular path, but we are all heading in the same general direction. So, pleased you have found TP, and looking forward to getting to know you .
Best wishes,
Amy
 

noelphobic

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
3,452
0
Liverpool
Kayla said:
Unfortunately she fell and needed a half hip replacement, which meant she got too stiff waiting for the operation and she never got back on her feet because it was too painful. She lost weight, wouldn't feed herself and was thoroughly confused and distressed. The home couldn't cope with her any more and we had to move her to a nursing home with EMI. She can't walk, is incontinent and cries a lot. She is completely lost in time and thinks she is at home with her Mum and Dad.
Less than a year ago she was still in her own home.
Hospitals have a lot to answer for: no name tags on the beds, keeping elderly patients waiting for 48 hours for their operations and restricted visiting.
It is sad that a fall can render an old lady completely dependent on others. Last week she didn't know I was her daughter and thinks she has a dog in her room.

My mum was still in her own home until 18 months ago when my dad died. She then went into an EMI care home and after a year there broke her hip. She is also now immobile and in a nursing home and I find it really hard to accept that she is in a wheel chair. She has been out of hospital for over 3 months and is only now having physiotherapy.

Did your mum not have any physio following the hip replacement? I suppose it must have been very difficult as it would have been complicated by the rheumatoid arthritis. The downside of regaining mobility of course is the worry of another fall, between the devil and the deep blue sea.

This is probably not helping much but I just wanted to say I empathise and I am sure you will be helped by being here.
 

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