In stage five, the affected person will begin to experience "major gaps in memory and deficits in cognitive function" and may require some type of assistance with "day-to-day activities like preparing meals, taking a bath or putting on clothing. The affected person will also lack the ability to recall very simple, ordinary things like his/her address, telephone number or even the name of his/her spouse or close friend and will be unable to recall where they are in a physical setting, such as in a shopping mall or even their own home, and will not be able to recall what day of the week it is or the exact date (2009, "The Warning Signs of Alzheimer's," Internet).
In stage six, the affected person will experience severe cognitive decline in the form of a change in his/her personality and will not be able to "recollect their personal history, such as where they attended high school or college or perhaps in what state they live." Also during this stage, the affected person will begin to experience changes in sleeping patterns and will not be able to change their own clothes or use the bathroom without some type of assistance. They also tend to wander away from their homes and become lost in surroundings which they normally would instantly recognize. In addition, the affected person may not be able to recognize their own face in the mirror nor the faces of loved ones, friends and family members (2009, "The Warning Signs of Alzheimer's," Internet).
Finally, in stage seven, the affected person will become completely helpless and will "lose the ability to respond to...
The affected person will also be unable to eat properly and will have difficulty swallowing and even breathing. Obviously, at this stage in the progression of Alzheimer's, the affected person becomes much like a child and will not be able to speak properly as though he/she has completely forgotten their own language.
As pointed out by the Alzheimer's Association, there were a number of great advances, beginning in 2007, related to diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease. One very important area is related to determining the genetic risks of contracting the disease which has been shown through research to be a major cause of Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, for those persons affected by early onset Alzheimer's, current research has not determined why this occurs in certain persons. It should be remembered that early onset Alzheimer's is very rare and occurs in less than 2% of the population. Thus, the future of Alzheimer's research seems bright and full of promise, especially because of technological advances which someday may make this terrible and debilitating disease a thing of the past.
References
The Warning Signs of Alzheimer's." Alzheimer's Association. 2009. Internet. Retrieved January 23, 2009 at http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_symptoms_of_alzheimers.asp?gclid=CJfdgdv5o5gCFQrFGgodwnf7mQ.
