Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disease that causes progressive memory loss, neurological and cognitive impairment, and motor dysfunction over a period of years. It progresses in stages, with symptoms becoming more severe and widespread at each worsening stage. In the late stages of Alzheimer's disease, patients are unable to take care of their most basic self-care activities as their memory and language skills, motor functioning, and mental and emotional health are severely affected.
Language and Memory Deterioration
Although some late-stage Alzheimer's patients still utter short words or phrases, it is common for many to lose the ability to speak and/or understand speech altogether. Communication may commonly appear in the form of cries, moans or mumbles. Intellectual ability becomes severely limited, and most cannot interpret other peoples' words, environmental cues or even sensory input, such as touches, smells and visual or auditory stimuli. While progressive memory loss occurs with each stage of Alzheimer's disease, late-stage Alzheimer's often brings about long-term memory loss, which can lead to an inability to recognize loved ones.
Neuromuscular Decline
Neurological changes to the brain begin to severely impair motor and muscle movement in the late stages of the disease. Muscles become rigid and difficult to move, and reflexes become abnormal. Individuals may lose their ability to use their hands, to walk without assistance or to hold themselves up without support. Sitting up or even holding their heads up on their own may become impossible. In addition to large muscle groups, small muscles or muscles responsible for involuntary contraction may also be affected. For example, some patients may lose the ability to smile because of a loss of function of the muscles in the face. Those with late-stage Alzheimer's may have a hard time swallowing because their throat muscles fail to contract involuntarily as they normally do.
Loss of Self-care Abilities
Those with late-stage Alzheimer's often lose the ability to perform daily self-care activities, such as toileting, eating, bathing, tying their shoes, buttoning their shirts or even basic hygiene, such as teeth brushing or hand washing. It is not uncommon for people to experience incontinence of urine. Most are bedridden and require around-the-clock care.
Other Late-Stage Symptoms
People with late-stage Alzheimer's disease can begin to experience severe mental side effects. Paranoia, hallucinations (sensing things that are not really there) and delusions (false beliefs) may all occur. Disorientation is also typical, with most experiencing a great deal of confusion about where they are or even what day, month or year it is.
Sleep disturbances are also common, including both insomnia and increased sleeping. Seizures are also possible in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease.
