Seven Stages of Alzheimer’s – Stage Three
Firsthand experience with people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can be misleading. Symptoms appear, the diagnosis is confirmed, and the individual shows increasingly severe signs of cognitive impairment. As time goes on, the decline becomes more evident and more rapid. Alzheimer’s may take as long as 25 years or more to progress from the initial stages to the end of life.
Stage Three – Symptoms Becoming Noticeable
In Stage 3, family members and close associates become aware of the person’s difficulty in performing certain mental tasks. The individual may be unable to find the right word when speaking or to recall something they just read. If he or she holds a job, co-workers or supervisors may notice an obvious decline in job performance, particularly if it involves complex planning or organizational skills. The individual may find it increasingly difficult to master new job skills, to comprehend technical data or follow detailed instructions. This inability to concentrate can produce feelings of anxiety. In such cases, professional counseling may recommend taking retirement or withdrawing from demanding activities to ease the psychological stress. For the majority of people in Stage 3, obvious signs of dementia will appear within two-to-four years.
