Communication abilities of individuals with late-stage Alzheimer disease.

The communication abilities of 49 individuals in the late stage of Alzheimer disease were examined in relation to other markers of late-stage Alzheimer disease (e.g., incontinence and ambulatory ability). Two existing tools used to stage severity of dementia, the Global Deterioration Scale and the Functional Assessment Stages, have represented communication abilities in individuals with late-stage Alzheimer disease to be minimal to nonexistent. The individuals in this sample showed greater communication skills and verbal output than would be predicted by these scales.