After the Diagnosis
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.
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.
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.
