There are a little over 5 million Americans who have Alzheimer's disease. A majority of the people who have Alzheimer's develop full-blown symptoms by the age of 60 and beyond, according to the National Institute on Aging. When the disease reaches its end stage, cognitive and motor functions become severely impaired. The body starts to shut down incrementally until death, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Dementia
One of the end-stage symptoms of Alzheimer's is dementia. The actual way in which dementia manifests varies. It may manifest in bipolar mood swings or violent aggression. Dementia may also take the form of very vivid hallucinations. Moreover, Alzheimer's patients experiencing end-stage dementia may simply withdraw from reality and simply gaze at the same spot passively without processing what they are seeing, according to the Alzheimer's Society.
Significant Weight Loss
When Alzheimer's reaches the end stage of its progression, the simple action of swallowing is severely impaired. Alzheimer's patients at this stage may also forget to swallow while eating, thus running the risk of choking. Moreover, appetite is usually greatly reduced by the end stage. The collective result is significant loss of weight, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Impaired Motor Functions
Alzheimer's severely compromises motor functions by the end stage. As such, patients at the final stage of Alzheimer's are usually unable to move about on their own. Alzheimer's in the end stage usually results in the loss of bowel and bladder control. It is quite common for end-stage Alzheimer's patients to require constant assistance even when going to the toilet, notes the Alzheimer's Association.
Memory Loss
Memory is severely impaired by the time Alzheimer's reaches the end stage. Alzheimer's patients may no longer remember who they are or recognize their friends and family. Even if they retain some sense of their identity, end-stage Alzheimer's patients no longer have a clear sense of the present time. It is quite common for these patients to believe they are still living in some moment from their past. End-stage Alzheimer's patients may believe a long dead friend or family member is still alive, according to the Alzheimer's Society.
Incoherence
Alzheimer's severely compromises cognitive functions by the end stage. As such, Alzheimer's patients at the end stage are no longer able to communicate coherently. It is quite common for Alzheimer's patients to repeat the same word or phrase again and again when trying to communicate or even for no apparent reason. End-stage Alzheimer's patients may also simply lose the ability to speak proper words and become mute.
