Phases
Mild stage
Damage still goes unnoticed by the affected person as well as the family. They start having trouble to find a word or forgetting small things like where they left the keys. In this stage they can still work and drive a car, but it is possible that they start feeling a lack of spontaneity or initiative and show some signs of depression. Judgment is reduced and difficulties to resolve new situations and planning activities appear. Apathy and isolation signs and mood swings may appear.
Moderate stage
The disease is obvious to the family and close ones. Difficulties to perform tasks such as grocery shopping, keeping up with a TV show or planning a dinner show up. It's not only a memory loss but also a reasoning and understanding capacity loss. In this stage, there is a fast progress of the impairment and people can get lost in familiar places. Also, apathy and depression are common symptoms.
Severe stage
Every cognitive related area is affected. The ability of speaking properly is lost and the affected person rambles time and time again. The affected person has trouble recognizing relatives and friends. Disorientation is continuous. People in most serious states forget how to walk and sit and they lose control over their body functions in general. They forget recent and distant events. In this stage, anxiety, insomnia, mutism and paralysis are common.
It is recommended going to specialized centers where non-pharmacological therapies that help preserving the person’s sane capacities are carried out. That's why the federation and its member associations provide the families with different programs required for this purpose.
