Alzheimer’s Disease Stages

Disease progression may vary person to person, but patients generally experience seven distinct stages:

Stage 1: Alzheimer’s patients will not know they have the disease as they are fully independent. However, as mentioned before, Alzheimer’s can begin in the brain up to decades before symptoms become noticeable.

Stage 2: Patients will display normal forgetfulness for their age, but the memory of those with Alzheimer’s will decline quicker than those without. Often symptoms at this age are unnoticeable to observers, but they generally include forgetting words or misplacing objects.

Stage 3: This stage lasts about seven years, but symptoms become apparent to those close to the patient around two to four years. Patients may have trouble concentrating or forget things they just read. Some people may have to stop working.

Stage 4: A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is now possible. Patients have trouble with some everyday tasks, may forget memories from their personal life, and show limited emotional responses.

Stage 5: This stage lasts 1.5 years and patients need lots of support. They will forget major events, their current address, and can no longer live independently.

Stage 6: Memory is severely impaired to the point where patients will confuse family members, experience personality changes, and become paranoid. They will also need help with personal hygiene, dressing themselves, and eating.

Stage 7: Severe Alzheimer’s has set in and occurs in phases that may last a couple years. Speech will become limited to simple sentences and may decrease to only single recognizable words. Patients may be unable to sit up on their own or hold up their head. Patients essentially become infantile.

Choosing a Memory Care Facility for Your Relative with Dementia | Rockwell, TX

Getting the news that your parent or relative has dementia can be devastating. What comes next maybe even harder. You may be saddled with the heart-wrenching task of researching and choosing a loving memory care facility for your loved one. Deciding on which memory care facility is best may seem overbearing. Especially since the Internet offers a wide array of memory care facilities with locations, floorplans, amenities, staffing, meals, and activities.

What are your loved one’s immediate needs?

First of all, what are your parent’s or relative’s daily needs? If your loved one needs help with activities of daily living (ADL) then you’ll need to find a facility that helps with bathing, dressing, and eating. If this is the case, then you'll want to talk with memory care facilities that offer ADL. Your primary goal should be to find a memory care facility that’s loving, highly skilled in assisting memory care patients, and appears to be a happy, homey and safe environment. If your relative has a heart condition, diabetes or any other life-threatening condition that requires daily medication then you’ll want to talk to the nursing staff about how they’ll administer daily medication.

Questions you can answer that will help determine the level of care your relative needs:

Does my relative wander, get lost, head toward exits frequently without telling anyone?

Can my relative walk independently or does he or she require a walker or wheelchair?

Does my relative require help eating?

Does my relative require help using the restroom?

Does my relative require help taking a shower?

Does my relative require help dressing?

Does my relative need 24/7 supervision?

Does my relative require treatments including radiation, chemotherapy, dialysis, or daily injections for diabetes or any other regular medical treatment?

How is Dementia Affecting Your Relative?

Sometimes seniors diagnosed with dementia can get angry, resist care or display other signs of aggression or distress. You’ll want to ask the memory care homes you consider how staff reacts when residents with dementia occasionally get angry, resist care or show other signs of aggression or distress. You’ll want a closer look at memory care facilities that say their team redirects residents who show signs of anger or distress. It’s important to find out the staff’s reactions to your relative’s anger or distress. Are they caring and considerate or are they numb or bothered? It's also key to know whether staff seems interested in getting to know your relative. Do they seem genuinely attentive and sincere? Or are they treating your relative like a number or like he or she doesn’t matter? The type of staff you want around your loved one are those that are pleasant, well-trained, involved and understand that your relative is more than their condition or disease.

What Floorplan, Amenities and Features Can Your Relative Look Forward to?

You’ll want to look for an easy-to-navigate but spacious facility that boasts plenty of common areas, 24x7 care team support, eye-catching courtyards, activity rooms, stunning private suites, attractive semi-private suites, and a gourmet meal plan with snacks in between. Ask about daily activities as there should be a mix of activities, therapeutic sessions that encourage movement, socialization, and healthy behaviors.

There’s no doubt you’ll want vibrant memory care home where your loved one will thrive. You’ll want to see a state-of-the-art facility that’s in a league of its own. At Village Green, we offer premier home environment care in a loving family atmosphere for your loved one. Village Green allows your relative to continue living with dignity, respect, freedom, and choice. Our home environment enables seniors with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and other memory impairments to maintain the highest quality of life while providing peace of mind to their family and friends.