the 7 stages

zonkjonk

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
290
0
Melbourne, Australia
This may have been posted before...but anyway it may help some members understand where their loved ones are at and what to possibly expect in the future.

It has helped me.
it breaks down the early, moderate and severe into 7 stages rather than 3. 7 Stages of ALZHEIMER'S
kind regards,
Jo

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Stage 1 - NO SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER'S ARE SEEN.

Stage 2 - FORGETFULNESS: Very mild cognitive decline. For example, problems such as: vagueness of where familiar objects are, complaints about not remembering well, forgetting names once well known. There is however, no loss of abilities in social interactions or in employment situations.

Stage 3 - CONFUSION EARLY STAGE: Mild cognitive decline. For example, problems such as: getting lost when traveling to a familiar location; noticeably lowered performance level at work; trouble finding words and names; little retention from reading; little or no ability to remember names of new people; loss of valued objects and trouble concentrating.

Stage 4 - CONFUSION LATE STAGE: Moderate cognitive decline. For example, problems such as: decreased knowledge of current and recent events; loss in memory of personal history; decreased ability to handle travel or finances; and inability to perform complex tasks. Appropriate responsiveness to outside stimulation decreases sharply. Denial of any problem, and withdrawal from challenging situations are common.

Stage 5 - DEMENTIA EARLY STAGE: Moderate severe decline. For example: the person can no longer survive without some assistance. Patients can't remember names of people or places in their lives. They may be disoriented about time and dates. However, they will require no assistance when using the bathroom or eating, but may need help getting dressed.

Stage 6 - DEMENTIA MIDDLE STAGE: Severe cognitive decline. For example: the person may forget the name of the spouse and be unaware of events in his or her life. They are entirely dependent on others for survival. They may have trouble sleeping in a regular pattern.

Stage 7 - DEMENTIA LATE STAGE: Very severe cognitive decline. For example: all verbal abilities are lost and he or she needs help eating and using the bathroom. Eventually they lose ability to walk, the brain appears to no longer be able to tell the body what to do.

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Level 1 – NO COGNATIVE DECLINE: No subjective complaints of memory deficit. No memory deficit evident on clinical interview.

Level 2 – VERY MILD COGNATIVE DECLINE (Age Associated Memory Impairment):
Subjective complaints of memory deficit, most frequently in following areas: (a) forgetting where one has placed familiar objects; (b) forgetting names one formerly knew well. No objective evidence of memory deficit on clinical interview. No objective deficits in employment or social situations. Appropriate concern with respect to symptomatology.

Level 3 – MILD COGNATIVE DECLINE (Mild Cognitive Impairment):
Earliest clear-cut deficits. Manifestations in more than one of the following areas: (a) patient may have gotten lost when traveling to an unfamiliar location; (b) co-workers become aware of patient's relatively poor performance; (c) word and name finding deficit becomes evident to intimates; (d) patient may read a passage or a book and retain relatively little material; (e) patient may demonstrate decreased facility in remembering names upon introduction to new people; (f) patient may have lost or misplaced an object of value; (g) concentration deficit may be evident on clinical testing. Objective evidence of memory deficit obtained only with an intensive interview. Decreased performance in demanding employment and social settings. Denial begins to become manifest in patient. Mild to moderate anxiety accompanies symptoms.

Level 4 – MODERATE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Mild Dementia):
Clear-cut deficit on careful clinical interview. Deficit manifest in following areas: (a) decreased knowledge of current and recent events; (b) may exhibit some deficit in memory of ones personal history; (c) concentration deficit elicited on serial subtractions; (d) decreased ability to travel, handle finances, etc. Frequently no deficit in following areas: (a) orientation to time and place; (b) recognition of familiar persons and faces; (c) ability to travel to familiar locations. Inability to perform complex tasks. Denial is dominant defense mechanism. Flattening of affect and withdrawal from challenging situations frequently occur.

Level 5 – MODERATELY SEVERE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Moderate Dementia):
Patient can no longer survive without some assistance. Patient is unable during interview to recall a major relevant aspect of their current lives, e.g., an address or telephone number of many years, the names of close family members (such as grandchildren), the name of the high school or college from which they graduated. Frequently some disorientation to time (date, day of week, season, etc.) or to place. An educated person may have difficulty counting back from 40 by 4s or from 20 by 2s. Persons at this stage retain knowledge of many major facts regarding themselves and others. They invariably know their own names and generally know their spouses' and children's names. They require no assistance with toileting and eating, but may have some difficulty choosing the proper clothing to wear.

Level 6 - SEVERE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Moderately Severe Dementia):
May occasionally forget the name of the spouse upon whom they are entirely dependent for survival. Will be largely unaware of all recent events and experiences in their lives. Retain some knowledge of their past lives but this is very sketchy. Generally unaware of their surroundings, the year, the season, etc. May have difficulty counting from 10, both backward and, sometimes, forward. Will require some assistance with activities of daily living, e.g., may become incontinent, will require travel assistance but occasionally will be able to travel to familiar locations. Diurnal rhythm frequently disturbed. Almost always recall their own name. Frequently continue to be able to distinguish familiar from unfamiliar persons in their environment. Personality and emotional changes occur. These are quite variable and include: (a) delusional behavior, e.g., patients may accuse their spouse of being an impostor, may talk to imaginary figures in the environment, or to their own reflection in the mirror; (b) obsessive symptoms, e.g., person may continually repeat simple cleaning activities; (c) anxiety symptoms, agitation, and even previously nonexistent violent behavior may occur; (d) cognitive abulla, i.e., loss of willpower because an individual cannot carry a thought long enough to determine a purposeful course of action.

Level 7 - VERY SEVERE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Severe Dementia):
All verbal abilities are lost over the course of this stage. Frequently there is no speech at all -only unintelligible utterances and rare emergence of seemingly forgotten words and phrases. Incontinent of urine, requires assistance toileting and feeding. Basic psychomotor skills, e.g., ability to walk, are lost with the progression of this stage. The brain appears to no longer be able to tell the body what to do. Generalized rigidity and developmental neurologic reflexes are frequently present.
 

zonkjonk

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
290
0
Melbourne, Australia
thanks brucie,
yes I thought it would have been covered years ago.
just thought I would bring it up again. some newer members may not have seen it.
Kind regards, jo
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
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SW Scotland
Always worth bringing forward, Jo. None of us know much about this disease until it hits us, and then we need so much information.

One thing worth mentioning is that dementia sufferers do not normaly fit into one stage completely. They may show many of the symptoms of a stage, but not all. And in most cases, there are good days and bad days, so they may fluctuate wildly between stages.

It's a useful guide to what to expect, though. Thanks.

Love,
 

Scoop

Registered User
Nov 20, 2006
99
0
Makes depressing reading... reckon my dad falls in Level 6 most of the time, maybe level 5 on a very good day:(

Looking through I would have put him level 3, 4 on a bad day this time last year ( he was still driving then too )

:eek:
 

CraigC

Registered User
Mar 21, 2003
6,633
0
London
One thing worth mentioning is that dementia sufferers do not normaly fit into one stage completely. They may show many of the symptoms of a stage, but not all. And in most cases, there are good days and bad days, so they may fluctuate wildly between stages.

totally agree Hazel.

It is a painful guide though :(
 

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
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near London
brucie, jan must have been there for years
sadly, yes.:(

There was one young onset person at Jan's home who was at that stage for ten years before she passed on. That is the nightmare, because even at stage 7, there is the early part, the mid part and the end part. Degrees of everything... :(
 

gigi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
7,788
0
70
East Midlands
Thanks for the info. Had read it up a few months ago but it's a stark reality now for me. i think Eric has moved relatively quickly from 3 and is well into stage 5 now. It's a b****r. One day at a time is what I keep telling myself! :)
 

Natashalou

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
426
0
london
My mums stage 5 nudging into 6. A year ago Id have put her at 4 going on 5. however she has physical and mobility problems too. But I have no way of knowing how much longer this will all go on for. Seems people move through the stages differently.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Makes depressing reading


yes it does agree with you on that Scoop

Not a nice reminder for me , let alone anyone with Dementia on TP reading it am wondering .

can understand now why its not keep in this section , but understand the need to talk about it .

My mother a 6


Diurnal rhythm frequently disturbed.

what does that mean
 
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Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
Thanks for that zonkjonk

How is your mother getting on ,
As I been reading other post when you said

nurse confirmed that pain relief didnt seem to be adequate, so my instructions were to ask doctor to increase pain relief to morphine and no hospitalisation.
 
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zonkjonk

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
290
0
Melbourne, Australia
mum is stable. She is speaking a little
they DO have her on morphine now.She is bedridden.
she still needs the cathetar.
So we had the sudden decline after the fall, the decline is permanent.:(
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
So sorry, Jo. But at least your mum is being kept comfortable. You're the one who's suffering.

Lots of love,
 

zonkjonk

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
290
0
Melbourne, Australia
I would like to think so hazel,(that mum is not suffering) but I dont think we can ever really know.
I know that she suffered mentally over several months, or perhaps longer. How scared must she have been?
what capacity did she have left when her anthem was "somebody help me" (cried out in anguish many times a day)
NH staff sighing , "there she goes again"
none of us know at this point what is left of the brain or the soul, or their awareness of their state.
I dont know what is causing her pain, but I suspect if her body is shutting down, there would most likely be pain.

providing morphine is the one of the last things to do to help aleviate suffering
but, and I may be wrong, even that isnt enough to relieve suffering for terminal cancer patients.
yes mum is comfortable.
staff used to say that about my dad
"he is resting comfortably"

I am not suffering any more, I have come to terms with this and I realise we could be looking at several months before the next decline.
A few weeks ago I thought we were looking at weeks.
Given that, I cannot dwell too much,(for self preservation) I know I cant save her, or help her or cure her now.
just last night I thought to myself "thank god my dad isnt here, this would break his heart"
(still, if the phone rings, the scared part of my brain does not want to answer)
I sometimes have a thought during my busy day...across all the NH in australia today, how many Mums, Dads ,Partners etc must have died today?
I saw my brother the other day, (only family left on my side) and he brought up pre arranging her funeral (easier)
I reminded him when I arranged dads funeral, at some point during the proceedings he thanked me and promised he would do mums.
Now he says, "but I dont know what to do"
Well welcome to the real world, I didnt know what to do either:(