The Symptoms of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's progresses from the first stage of the disease (mild) to the second stage (moderate) to the final stage (severe) in a usually slow progression. The symptoms worsen with each stage and so does the required amount of care. By the time the patient is in the moderate stage he or she is requiring a constant caregiver. The reason for the caregiver is because the person with Alzheimer's cognitive abilities are rapidly declining by the time she or he is in the moderate stage of the disease. Cognitive functioning is necessary for all types of daily tasks from being able to plan, prepare and serve a meal to being able to bath and dress to get ready for the day. Tasks that require complex cognitive skills such as balancing a checkbook, going shopping ding housework and performing tasks required for maintaining employment are often those that are out of the reach of those in moderate stage Alzheimer's.

Poor judgment - bad decisions are often made as the individual still seems in their "right mind" to others. A recent case in Massachussets focused this problem: A ministry was forced to return over one million dollars to a woman whose family took it to court. The ministry was unaware that the donor was a victim of Alzheimer's symptoms and unable to judge her actions fully.

However, a diagnosis of symptoms is never definitive while the person suffering the effects is alive, and a surefire diagnosis can only be obtained through a postmortem autopsy of the brain. Because of this, many instances of other forms of senile dementia are often incorrectly determined to be Alzheimer's even when they are not.

Inability to make decisions This is one of the more dangerous symptoms of Alzheimer's disease leaving the sufferer unable to think cohesively. For example, if your roast is the oven was burning the logical thing to do would be turn the oven off and remove the burning roast. Someone suffering with Alzheimer's disease could become confused by the situation and be unable to resolve the issue which could become hazardous.

Loss of recognition If someone is late claiming they could not remember where they were supposed to meet you or could not remember the location of the meeting place, this could also be a symptom of Alzheimer's disease. Familiar people and places cease to be familiar.

A hard time with mental tasks, losing things and mood swings also are common for those undergoing the onset of Alzheimer's. Loss of motivation is also seen quite often, as are personality changes including increased anxiety and suspicion. The person might spend hours in front of the television.

Changes in behavior and personality: Patients of Alzheimer's disease have the tendency to swing their moods rapidly. The patients may even feel dramatic changes in their personality and can become fearful, angry, quiet, etc.

Become passive and lose interest: The People with Alzheimer's disease generally tend to become passive and show no interest in their usual activities. Extra encouragement is required to make them become active