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My dad was diagnosed with Stage 1 Alzheimer's last month. And the other day I talked to him on the phone and he didn't know who I was, so I told him who I was. And u asked him the day and he was unaware of it. Then he told me about a fight (mind u never happened) he has fallen twice. Legs ankles and hands are swelling. Memory loss. Talking about my grandmother who has passed away. He is agitated. Please and thank you.

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Forget about stages. First off, get him to the doctor or urgent care and have him tested for a uti or other infection. Second, what kind of doctor dxed the the Alzheimers ? If it was anyone other that a neurologist who had extensive neuropsych testing done, I would seek a better diagnosis.
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I agree with the others that something is going on. Swelling doesn't come on that suddenly unless something has gone awry. Maybe his legs were hurt in the fall. Or maybe there is something happening inside of him that contributed to his falls, e.g. a heart condition. He needs some serious testing, including urinary, liver, and heart. Do you think he could be diabetic?

One really can't diagnose Stage 1 Alzheimer's, because there are no symptoms in Stage 1. It is the pre-dementia stage. Since the forgetfulness came on suddenly, I would suspect either a UTI or another metabolic imbalance. He needs medical assistance today.
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Walter, the worst kind of dementia is the kind your loved one has. They are different but they are all awful.

Lewy Body does not generally involve wandering. Alzheimer's does. Maybe Alzheimer's is worse.

Lewy Body often includes hallucinations and delusions very early in the disease. In Alzheimer's they tend to occur much later, if at all. Maybe Lewy Body is worse.

Each kind of dementia has its own set of symptoms and behaviors. It is not possible to lay them out on a scale from bad to worst.

It also entirely possible to have more than one kind of dementia.

We don't get choices. It is what it is, and we deal with the symptoms our loved ones have.

My husband died of Lewy Body Dementia. I was glad he didn't wander. I was glad he didn't forget people even at the very end. Was I glad he had LBD instead of ALZ? Nope. Neither is "better" to have.
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Swollen legs, ankle and hands are a red flag, especially since it seems this happened very quickly. I would take him to the ER, now.
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There is a dementia that usually accompanies Parkinson's, that is called Lewy Bodies I think.

Is he taking medicine for the high blood pressure and the high cholesterol? Is he on any kind of diabetic friendly diet? Who is his medical POA? If it is you, you may want to go with him to the clinic and talk to the doctor. Dad will have to sign a HIPAA form saying it is okay to talk to you. See if you can get him to drink more fluids (not beer or cokes, they don't count), elevate his legs when he's sitting, lay off the processed foods for a while (lunch meat, hot dogs) and cut way down on using salt at the table. A little exercise never hurt anyone either, if he'll take a walk or even lift his legs off the recliner every once in a while. Good luck!
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I've heard from my dad. And my dad has had congestive heart failure ever since i was like in middle school and I'm 26 now. Plus it runs in the family pretty bad. I filled out a advantage program application for nurses to go to his house and check on him and stuff. They can help get him into a nursing home or living center which will help me out and take some stress off of me. I'm calling his doctor tomorrow again.
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My dad has know insurance so he is going to a free clinic, and she told him about him having Alzheimer's. When he was in prison he was diagnosed with dementia. He is a diabetic also has Parkinson's disease. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, I'm thinking the swelling is from him retaining fluids. I wish I could get all the answers and stuff. His health is poor.
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I hope you get some answers about your dad.

There are some great information on this thread, but if I may offer a little different take on the swelling matter. Maybe someone else can chime in too. I have seen at least 6 people that I know personally, one including myself, who has seen a doctor about swelling of the hands and/or feet. They call it edema. I have Type I diabetes, but the edema was not considered a medical issue of concern. I complained about it to my GP and 2 separate Endocrinologist and none of them thought it was serious and not even worth treating. Two of these are top in their field. An senior that I know was told my her doctor that edema was not a medical problem. He sent her home. I know others who were given fluid pills, which I was eventually, or given nothing and told it wasn't a problem. These doctors are not quacks and some work out very prestigious medical schools. So, I guess sometimes the edema can be a warning sign and other times it might not.
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If he is recently disgnosed hopefully he was put on meds to try and help the progression of the disease. My sister talked to my mom daily on the phone. My mom did not really recognize those she had not seen often. At one point i had to say to my brother that he shoukd tell mom he wanted to kiss her before he did. I was beside and could see fesr in her eyes because she had no idea who this man was and why he was coming so close to her face. If you have not seen a neurologist you should get to one asap. Once my mom was diagnosed. The neuro doctor was basically the primary doctor that mom eould see. Good luck
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Walter, I found this article here on the Aging Care website that could be helpful. https://www.agingcare.com/articles/Stages-of-Alzheimers-disease-118964.htm
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