My father-in-law is not an easy patient with Alzheimer's to be diagnosed about his staging. Basically we know he has late moderate stage. Lately he has developed some severe stage symptoms - not eating by himself and not knowing eating will help his hunger. It has started since March. However, he still talks and walks with a cane in a short distance. He does not look idle at all and he can still go to a cafe and behave well like the people there.
I came across this document online and found it useful. My father-in-law is not the type that one can easily put him in stage 6 or stage 7 catalog.
The new research found that it is complicated in staging and it depends on how each person behaves and functions.
This part in the end of the article below is particularly useful:
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Understanding the Stages and Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease Learn about the symptoms of Alzheimer's, and how they change as the disease progresses through three distinctive stages. Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MS, MPH
Alzheimer's Disease: Beyond Staging
Some researchers believe that the stages of Alzheimer's now recognized by medical professionals should be modified to reflect the complex nature of the disease, says Malaz Boustani, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a center scientist with the Indiana University Center for Aging Research. "That kind of staging is decades-old," Dr. Boustani says. "These days, it should be clear that Alzheimer's is more complicated."
Along with ranking cognition as mild, moderate, or severe, Boustani and other doctors think the disease could also be staged by other factors, including:
- Ability to function, ranging from "high level," in which the person can still managing finances and driving, down to "low level," in which they need help with very simple tasks, such as eating and dressing.
- Behavioral and psychological symptoms, such as wandering and pacing, which are more prevalent in later stages of the disease.
- Caregiver burden, taking into account how much a caregiver needs to contribute to the person's wellbeing and how much they are still able to manage on their own. Because caregivers play such an integral role in the lives of people with Alzheimer's, Boustani says some medical professionals have "started changing the definition of the patient and expanded it to include their caregiver."
