At this time she has many problems swallowing and she constantly talks mainly saying things like they don't want that there and I'm over here..things like that. She potties on herself also. She is still able to move about by herself but she has to always be watched. I've read alot but I can't quite figure out what stage she is in. Can you help me?
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Q: My grandmother was diagnosed with alzheimer's in 1997. Trying to figure out what stage she is in.
Answers (3)
5/10/09 6:24am
Only a doctor can tell you this, and then it's likely dependent on the day she sees the doctor, since they kind of move back and forth between stages. But it's likely it's stage three or four. She's certainly not early stage, so she's moved into the later stages of the disease. This can go on for a long time or she could go downhill fast. Everyone is different.
Stay strong and take care of yourself,
Carol
5/10/09 10:48pm
She is probably in stage 5 or 6. Swallowing problem is supposed to be the last stage (stage 7) but she may have other reasons for the problem. The potty thing is like my FIL, he needs to wear diaper/underwears now. But it is not incontinence yet as stage 6. It may not be incontinence (i.e., too slow to walk to the bathroom) in her case and you can check this out with her doctor or nurse. She can still talk so it is not bad. It may be stage 5 or 6 of AD.
The staging is tricky. For example, if we thought it was stage 6 or 7, it was often stage 5 or 6 in my FIL's case. It is hard to judge as one needs to know the reason behind the symptoms.
Take care,
Nina
5/12/09 2:15pm
Hi, Cheri,
I agree with Cheryl that the doctor should be able to give you some feedback since Alzheimer's progresses differently with everyone. You also may want to talk to the doctor about your grandmother's swallowing issues. Is she on pureed food at this point? I wrote about my mom's similar situation at:
http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/42/8290/stage-moms-care
http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/42/8126/solid-foods
Also, if she is having swallowing problems, you and your family may want to go on and have the difficult discussion about whether or not you will use a feeding tube with your grandmother when and if the time comes. I also wrote about our family's decision at:
http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/c/42/8522/comments
Take care and keep us posted!
Dorian
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By cheri— Last Modified: 12/26/10, First Published: 05/09/09
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