The average length of Alzheimer's disease is 7 years. However, it varies from patient to patient and can last as long as 20 years. Early in the illness, Alzheimer's patients tend to have less energy and spontaneity, though often no one notices anything unusual. They exhibit minor memory loss and mood swings, and are slow to learn and react. After a while they start to shy away from anything new and prefer the familiar.
Memory loss begins to affect job performance.
The patient is confused, gets lost easily, and exercises poor judgment. Speech and understanding become slower, and patients often lose their train of thought in mid-sentence. They may also get lost while travelling or forget to pay bills. As Alzheimer's victims become aware of this loss of control, they may become depressed, irritable an restless. The individual is clearly becoming disabled.