Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease; the symptoms grow worse over time. Yet, it is also a variable disease. Symptoms progress at different rates and in different patterns. The appearance and progression of symptoms will vary from one person to the next. The classic sign of early Alzheimer’s disease is gradual loss of short-term memory. Other symptoms may include:

• Anxiety, suspiciousness, and agitation;
• Confusion;
• Difficulties with activities of daily living, such as feeding and bathing;
• Difficulty recognizing family and friends;
• Forgetting how to use simple, ordinary things, such as a pencil;
• Inability to recognize objects;
• Loss of appetite; weight loss;
• Loss of bladder and bowel control;
• Problems finding or speaking the right word;
• Loss of speech;
• Repetitive speaking or action;
• Sleep disturbances;
• Total dependence on caregiver; and
• Wandering and pacing.