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After The Diagnosis
1 How important is a
diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease?
The earlier an accurate diagnosis of
Alzheimer’s disease is made, the greater the
gain in managing symptoms and allowing the
person to take part in future life course
decisions.
2 How long to persons
with Alzheimer’s disease live after
developing the disease?
Persons with Alzheimer’s disease often live
for years with the disease, eventually dying
from pneumonia or other diseases. The
duration of Alzheimer’s disease from time of
diagnosis can be 20 years or more. The
average length of time from onset of
symptoms is thought to be in the range of 4
to 8 years.
3 As Alzheimer’s
disease gets worse, what changes can I
expect?
In general, Alzheimer’s disease causes a
gradual decline in 3 main areas that you can
think of as ABC for short.
A: (Activities of
Daily Living): This relates to a
persons ability to take care of him or
herself and perform routine tasks, such
as getting dressed or cooking meals.
B. (Behavior):
This relates to mood and personality
changes, such as a person’s emotions,
interest in being with others, and
eating and sleeping patterns.
C. (Cognition):
This includes a person’s ability to
think, reason, learn and remember. Being
able to remember names, past or current
events or where you live is a good
example of cognition.
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