The Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging have updated the guidelines used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease for the first time since 1984. The new guidelines describe three phases of Alzheimer’s disease progression:
- Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease – Measurable changes in biomarkers (such as brain imaging and spinal fluid chemistry) that indicate the very earliest signs of disease, before outward symptoms are visible. Currently, there are no clinical diagnostic criteria for this phase, but the group provides a scientific framework to help researchers better define this stage of Alzheimer’s.
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s Disease – Mild changes in memory and thinking abilities, enough to be noticed and measured, but not impairment that compromises everyday activities and functioning.
- Dementia due to Alzheimer’s Disease – Memory, thinking and behavioral symptoms that impair a person’s ability to function in daily life.
More than 5 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the U.S. today, and this number is expected to grow even higher. And for every one person with dementia, there are numerous others in the picture, providing care as the disease progresses. When a person enters the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease, care needs become more intensive and demanding. Many people are surprised to learn that hospice is available to help care for people in the end stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.Hospice Foundation of America has developed a program, Alzheimer’s Disease and Hospice Care, to help families understand how hospice helps persons with advanced dementia face the end of life with compassion and dignity.
