What is a common characteristic of mid-late stages of Alzheimer's dementia?

In the mid to late stages of Alzheimer's dementia, individuals frequently exhibit wandering behavior, particularly during the night. This is often a result of disorientation, confusion, and changes in the sleep-wake cycle. As the disease progresses, cognitive impairments lead to difficulties in recognizing familiar environments and people, which can prompt individuals to wander in an attempt to find a sense of security or familiarity. This wandering can pose risks to safety, as individuals may become lost or engage in other unsafe behaviors while on the move.

While dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, can occur in later stages and dangerous behaviors may manifest, wandering is more characteristic of the specific challenges faced at this stage of Alzheimer's. Similarly, being bed-ridden is more typically associated with the final stages of dementia rather than mid-late stages. Thus, wandering stands out as a prominent and common behavior disruption during this period of the disease.