Stage 6

Stage 6 as defined by the Alzheimer's Association

Memory difficulties continue to worsen, significant personality changes may emerge and affected individuals need extensive help with customary daily activities. At this stage, individuals may:

• Lose most awareness of recent experiences and events as well as of their surroundings

• Recollect their personal history imperfectly, although they generally recall their own name

• Occasionally forget the name of their spouse or primary caregiver but generally can distinguish familiar from unfamiliar faces

• Need help getting dressed properly; without supervision, may make such errors as putting pajamas over daytime clothes or shoes on wrong feet

• Experience disruption of their normal sleep/waking cycle

• Need help with handling details of toileting (flushing toilet, wiping and disposing of tissue properly)

• Have increasing episodes of urinary or fecal incontinence

• Experience significant personality changes and behavioral symptoms, including suspiciousness and delusions (for example, believing that their caregiver is an impostor); hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there); or compulsive, repetitive behaviors such as hand-wringing or tissue shredding

• Tend to wander and become lost

Keep in mind that every person is different, so some of these symptoms may not be as severe, I will say that my Dad did have quite a few of these symptoms and they did seem to progress rather rapidly.  Of course during this stage my Dad had a laundry list of other medical conditions, he had renal failure, and his kidneys were not so great.  You see along with AD he was a long time suffered of the gout and polycythemia which he took various medications for many years, thus causing his liver and kidneys to start failing.  So consult with your doctor about medications for pre-existing conditions and see if they are needed at this stage of AD.  Also, my recommendation to many terminal illness families is to go ahead and look into some sort of home health care providers (if you want to keep them at home).  These services, whether it is hospice or private care givers, will help the primary care giver to get some sort of relief and much needed help.  I'm not saying that you need to call them right away, but at least be aware of the services in your area.  And most important, see a lawyer and get necessary paperwork in place, if you haven't already.  Living wills, power of attorneys, etc are several of the documents that you can discuss with your lawyer.  Be prepared.  

Picture of the Day (can anyone guess what these are??)

Blessings,

Magnolia