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Maryland In-Home Care Agency

Serving Montgomery County, Howard County, Prince George's County and Washington DC
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The Seven Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease

With a potential 20-year timeline, Alzheimer’s disease care management is critically important to victims and their families.

Seven stages of Alzheimer's diseaseThe steady physical and cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can run a course of 20 years or longer depending on the age it is first diagnosed.

AD can develop in people as young as 65. The Fischer Center for Alzheimer’s Research offers an excellent stage-by-stage overview of the disease’s progression and can be found here. The center reports, “AD affects 10 percent of people 65 and older, the prevalence doubles every 10 years after 65. Half of the population age 85 and over is thought to have the disease.”

While research to find a cure continues, the best anyone can do is to prepare victims and their families for the long care journey ahead.

A Long-View Outlook

Alzheimer’s disease is defined by multiple levels of progression. The Fischer Center describes 7 clinical steps with several substeps at later stages. The Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institutes of Health have suggested creating a three-stage range that begins with no impairment and moves to severe impairment.

Regardless of how the progression is defined, understanding where care should begin is what truly matters. For most families, it begins when a loved one is struggling with day-to-day activities.

Stage 4 – mild Alzheimer’s disease lasts for up to 2 years and is when most patients and family members consider the need for support and care.

Signs of Change

  • Major events or visits to familiar people are difficult to remember
  • Confusion over days of the week, month, and seasons
  • Difficulty managing personal finances such as rent and bills
  • Inability to shop alone, prepare meals, or order from a restaurant menu
  • Mood changes include withdrawal, lack of emotional response

At this stage, experts feel that patients can still live independently if they are in a monitored or community setting with someone helping with basic daily activities.

Stage 5 – Moderate Alzheimer’s disease lasts approximate 1.5 years and includes all of the above changes but now patients cannot live alone. Without proper support, patients can experience behavioral changes such as anger and anxiety from people around them.

  • Need help choosing clothes and getting dressed
  • Loss of memory recall, some days they can remember their address and phone number, some days they cannot.

Stage 6 – Moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease lasts approximately 2.5 years. This stage may begin with patients needing help getting dressed and using the bathroom.  They also need help bathing. At the latter end of this stage, they become incontinent. This can be managed by frequent trips to the bathroom.

  • Shows almost no knowledge of events
  • Confuses people – wife with mother, husband with father
  • Cannot remember major parts of their life such as former occupation
  • Patients without proper stimulation will pace the room or fiddle with objects
  • Verbal outbursts are common

Stage 7  – Severe Alzheimer’s disease lasts for several years and progresses to an almost complete loss of function including loss of speech, immobility, and joint deformity as the brain loses it ability to control nerves. Patients need 24-hour care.

How to Manage Slow Change

caregiver discussing alzheimer'sA care plan needs to be developed to keep the patient safe but to also support the caregiver. If the caregiver is a spouse, he or she may also be elderly with medical issues that need attention. Additionally, the reality of AD is the progression is not determined by a calendar. Patients have good days and bad and changes happen slowly. Caregivers march through their days but then experience rapid burn out when more tasks and decisions are piled on top of existing ones.

It’s overwhelming to consider how AD will progress and that a loved one will never recover. With proper support and assistance, the patient can remain safe and independent for a long time. A good care plan ensures that the patient will also have the necessary assistance in place, to guide them through the inevitable stage changes as Alzheimer’s progresses.

People Come First

Comfort Home Care aides are dementia and Alzheimer’s care certified by the Alzheimer’s Association. Our caregivers are trained to understand the stages of dementia, and changes in behavior. We use this information to provide the best care possible.  We strive to understand a client’s health history and personal preferences, their current health and care needs, and what their future needs might be. We believe this is the best way to deliver meaningful care.

Couples Care: Keeping Relationships Whole

Couples Care: Keeping Relationships Whole
One guide you might find helpful:

Selecting an in-home caregiver? Learn why couples care is an affordable solution for families.

In-Home Care Providers: Agency Vs. Independent Contractors

Agency Vs. Independent In-home Care Provider
One guide you might find helpful:

Selecting an in-home caregiver? Learn the basics about Agency Vs. Independent Contractors In-Home Care Providers.

Need Help Selecting an In-Home Caregiver?

how to pick an in-home care provider
One guide you might find helpful:

Selecting an in-home caregiver? Learn the basics before you choose!

Is it Time for In-Home Care

Is it Time for In-Home Care
One guide you might find helpful:

Need a to know when to use In-Home Care? Read our guide "Is it Time for In-Home Care"!

A Family Guide for In-Home Dementia Care

Family Guide for In-Home Dementia Care
One guide you might find helpful:

Need a guide for In-home dementia care? Read our family guide for In-home dementia care!

Coming Home From Rehab. Now what?

Coming Home From Rehab. Now what?
One guide you might find helpful:

Need to know what to do after coming home from rehab? Read our guide "Coming Home From Rehab. Now what?"!

The Changing Care Needs of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

The Changing Care Needs of Parkinson’s Disease Patients
One guide you might find helpful:

Need to know about the changing care needs of parkinson's disease ? Read our guide "The Changing Care Needs of Parkinson’s Disease Patients"!

Understanding Strokes and Recovery

Understanding Strokes and Recovery
One guide you might find helpful:

Need to know about the warning signs of strokes? Read our guide "Understanding Strokes and Recovery"!

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121 Congressional Lane, Suite 201 Rockville, MD 20852
4000 Albermarle St., NW, Suite LL15 Washington D.C., 20016
301-984-7681

During this period of uncertainty, we want you to know that we are here for you and your family!

Comfort Home care is an essential business and we will, therefore, be operating normal hours.

We take safety seriously and our professional caregivers will follow our strict protocols in addition to adhering with CDC, federal, state and local guidelines.

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