Stage 6 - "Severe cognitive decline (Middle Dementia)." The patient may occasionally forget their spouse's name, and they may be largely unaware of much of their own history as well as of recent events. They may retain some knowledge of their past lives, but this is sketchy. During this stage personality changes may occur, and the person may become obscessive or delusional and may begin having hallucinations. They may begin to have some incontinence as well.
Stage 7 - "Very severe cognitive decline (Late Dementia)" All verbal ability is lost, the person is incontinent, and needs assistance with eating. The person may also lose the ability to walk, and eventually to sit and head control as well.
Looking at the early stages, it is easy to see how a person with Alzheimer's can function for years without others being aware that there is a problem. Some of us might even wonder if we're not in stage one or two ourselves.
Looking back, I think I can safely say that my mother was in stage four before her diagnosis (1993), and in stage five when my sister was her caregiver (1993-1994), stage six when I became her caregiver (1994-1995), and stage seven soon after she entered the nursing home (Jan.-Apr. 1996). Although she was unable to walk or to eat without assistance near the end, and she did pretty much lose her ability to talk, she didn't become unable to sit or to control her head.
I hope this list of stages will be helpful to you who have loved ones with Alzheimer's. The diagnosis isn't the end of the world. If it is caught early, as it often is these days, there can be years of functionality, especially with the aid of new medications that may delay the more advanced symptoms for a long time. There is so much research going on, and perhaps there might even be a cure found before your loved one reaches those advanced stages. There is always that hope!
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