The Alzheimer's Association states that 5.3 million people have Alzheimer's disease. A type of dementia, Alzheimer's disease results in changes to the patients' brains. As a result, Alzheimer's disease patients have problems with multiple cognitive functions, such as memory and thinking. These cognitive problems can affect the patients' lives and their ability to care for themselves.
Loss of Self Identity
Patients with Alzheimer's disease have severe problems with their memories. During mild cognitive impairment, which the NIH states is the stage between forgetfulness from normal aging and Alzheimer's disease, patients have problems with short-term memories. For example, if a patient has a conversation with a friend in the morning, she does not remember it later in the day. In the early stage of Alzheimer's disease, patients misplace items and get lost in familiar places. As Alzheimer's disease progresses, patients also experience problems recalling stored memories, such as details of an event that happened 15 years ago. The NIH states that patients forget details about themselves, causing them to lose absence of who they are. The Mayo Clinic adds that the memory problems can cause patients to feel disorientated.
Social Isolation
The Mayo Clinic states that Alzheimer's disease affects patients' personalities, resulting in mood changes such as depression, aggressiveness and anxiety. Patients with Alzheimer's disease also have problems interacting with other people. They start to distrust others, lose interest in the activities in which they normally participate, and have problems with their social skills. In the mid-stage of Alzheimer's disease, patients withdraw from social contact, according to the NIH. By the last stage of the disease when the memory loss is severe, patients cannot recognize or remember friends and family members.
Impaired Thinking
Alzheimer's disease patients have cognitive problems other than memory loss. For example, the Mayo Clinic notes that patients have difficulty with abstract thinking, which affects their ability to work with numbers. Patients may have problems reading and writing, and can use the wrong word when speaking. The NIH adds that Alzheimer's disease impairs judgment, affecting patients' ability to recognize danger. This impairment leaves patients vulnerable for harm.
Decreased Capacity to Care for Self
Since Alzheimer's disease affects many important functions, patients have increasing difficulty when taking care of themselves. During the mid-stage of Alzheimer's disease, patients start to have problems doing basic tasks, according to the NIH. For example, patients have problems choosing clothing that is appropriate for the weather or making themselves meals. By the end stage of Alzheimer's disease, patient cannot do any of these tasks. They need caretakers during this stage of the disease to help them with eating and bathing.
