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Managing Alzheimers & Its Stages
Alzheimer’s is a disease that progresses in stages. As the person that you are taking care of advances from the early to middle and then to the late stages of this disease, it is key to understand in advance what is going to change and how to handle those changes.
The Beginning Stages of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s can affect your loved one at any age. In the beginning stages, you will just need to be a support to your loved one. They will still be able to function mostly on their own, driving and cooking. You may have noticed that your loved one has begun to forget things, like where they put their keys or that they had a doctor’s appointment. They may even experience difficulty doing little tasks that they used to love or have no problem doing such as putting together a puzzle, knitting, or playing games. This stage can last for many years.
The Middle Stages of Alzheimer’s
The middle stages can also last for years. At this point, your loved one will need your involvement in their life at a deeper level. You may not have noticed any emotional changes in the earlier stages but, during the middle stages of this disease, it is typical for your loved one to experience much frustration while attempting to do small tasks like buttoning their own buttons. They may become angry seemingly out of nowhere. Some days will be very challenging and others may feel like you are getting a break. Your loved one may revert back to the person that they used to be for the day.
Taking on more of the day to day tasks for your loved one that they do on their own will likely become necessary at this point. They will probably need you to take over the balancing of their checkbook, paying their bills and planning their grocery menu. The important thing is to do your best to remain patient and allow your loved one to do as much as they can on their own with your presence in case they need help.
The End Stages and How to Support Yourself and Your Loved One Through Them
The end stages should not last as long as the early and middle stages. Possibly up to a few years and possibly as little as a few weeks. In the end stages, your loved one will have regressed to needing assistance with eating and walking. They will likely need full-time care requiring live-in help or the service of a long-term care facility. They may lose function of their bowels and bladder. Alzheimer’s affects not only the emotional functions of the body, but in the end the physical functions are affected as well. Your loved one needs lots of love at this stage and to be kept as clean and comfortable as possible. Be sure to enlist the help of others as this is a very demanding stage of the disease.
