It is a known fact that Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease, which can worsen slowly. The prognosis can be discussed in terms of stages of the disease. At first the individual newly...

It is a known fact that Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease, which can worsen slowly. The prognosis can be discussed in terms of stages of the disease.

At first the individual newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease will experience mild to moderate symptoms. Usually the symptoms of the disease will progressively get worse over the next 8 to 15 years. Individuals with Parkinson’s disease do not die of the disease but from complications of the disease.

The prognosis will change over the years as the disease progresses. They will be at greater risk for injury if they are not careful or if caregivers do not watch them. They can become lost or injured while in a confused state. They can have difficulty swallowing, walking, and are prone to infections all of which subject them to harm.

Typically, individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease can stay at home as long as they have constant supervision for safety sake. They should also receive regular follow-up visits from their doctor. When first diagnosed the patient is usually in the early stages of the disease. They can still enjoy family life but may have difficulty remembering faces and names of those family members that they don’t see as often. Medications for Alzheimer’s disease can actually help the prognosis because many medications can actually stall the progression of the disease so that family members can have more time with their loved ones.

Sometime during the moderate stage of Alzheimer’s disease there will need to be decisions made regarding caring for the individual as they become less able to function the need for constant nursing care.

Until the disease advances the individual can still participate in family life, receive and give love and participate in a variety of meaningful activities with family members and close friends. As the disease progresses the prognosis becomes more obvious as the individual becomes less able to manage tasks like dressing, feeding self, and being mobile. Cognitively the prognosis is always the same, unfortunately the patient will not know close family members and friends and be unable to move, sit up or swallow. Not being able to swallow can lead to a decreased desire to eat. Poor nutrition can follow which decreases the ability of the body to function.

At the present time there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Treatments can prolong the progress enough to give family members more time with the individual. When the disease is caught early the prognosis is better because of the ability to get into treatment early. When the treatment is started early the disease will progress more slowly allowing for longer stretches of quality time.

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