A person with Alzheimer's disease is having a progressive & gradual decline in mental functions, often beginning with slight memory loss, followed by difficuties in maintaining employment, planing and executing familiar tasks, and reasoning and exercising judgment.
Communication ability, mood & personality may also be affected. Most people who have Alzheimer's disease die within 8 years of their first diagnosis, although that interval may be from 1 year to 20 years.
Alzheimer's disease is the 4th leading cause to death in adults after heart disease, cancer & stroke.