As we age, there are a few expected changes in our cognitive abilities, but when should you consider that it may be more than just aging? What are the signs that one might be transitioning into some stage of significant cognitive decline?

Early stage or mild Alzheimer's.

During the early Alzheimer’s disease stages, the patient might experience very mild symptoms broadening it to general forgetfulness. These signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s may include planning troubles, forgetting the placement of daily use items, problems in managing financial decisions, troubles in performing tasks at work and an inability to recollect as well as judge places and distances. The time span of this stage is between two to four years.

Before Alzheimer’s disease symptoms appear, there are changes in the brain related to Alzheimer's which are noticeable. This begins 10-15 years before the onset of Alzheimer's which is referred to the pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease. It is important to notice any minor signs of forgetfulness.

Middle stage or moderate Alzheimer's.

During this stage, the patient’s condition might start looking a bit more prominent such as the patient can experience forgetfulness of personal past, unable to remember the address or phone number, personality changes and might not even be able to recall the day it is. The duration of this stage can be anywhere between two to ten years.

You may also note that a person’s routine may be disrupted and then they are unable to do simple tasks on their own and require assistance. This stage can last many years and goes beyond memory loss and affect the cognition outside the memory including language and calculations. This makes it more problematic to complete daily tasks. This stage would also include them forgetting minute details of who they are married to and who their family members are.

The memory from the distant past tends to be better than recent memory of day-to-day tasks, whom they met and what they spoke about. They could experience restlessness and experience changes in sleeping patterns including sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. They might experience personality changes and act suspicious or feel lost in gatherings amongst familiar people.

Late stage or severe Alzheimer's.

During this stage, the symptoms are regular and highly significant. The Alzheimer’s symptoms during this stage include apparent and sudden behavior changes, inability to carry a conversation, eating and swallowing can be difficult, inability to control the bladder, vulnerability to infections, difficulties in sitting, walking and swallowing.

The increased dependence on people starts at this stage where performing day to day tasks is an issue, but they forget people who are important to them. they might not know what to do when the doorbell rings, when the phone rings or if there is a fire and a fire alarm goes off. Leaving them alone becomes dangerous and it is best they have assistance as they are communicating but not in a specific context to have a conversation or are unable to communicate what they are experiencing. The brain cells deteriorate considerably, and motor skills are not properly functional.

Occasional forgetfulness is a common human trait and most often not associated with cognitive decline. If anything in this blog post raises more questions than answers, seek out the care of a healthcare provider.