A patient with Alzheimer disease is repeatedly found lost outside his home and cannot remember the way back. Which stage of Alzheimer disease does this best represent?

Correct answer: D. Moderate

• A. In SEVERE disease the patient has lost the ability to ambulate independently and communicate meaningfully, so independent wandering outside the home is no longer possible.
• B. Being repeatedly unable to return home from near the house exceeds mild disease.
• C. Preclinical Alzheimer disease is by definition asymptomatic, with biomarker changes only.
• D. CORRECT (clinically accurate). WANDERING and getting lost in FAMILIAR surroundings are hallmarks of the MODERATE (middle) stage. Moderate disease features impaired visuospatial orientation, wandering, confusion about place and time, personality change, difficulty with activities of daily living, and the need for meaningful supervision.

Note: Flag — source key contested. The source keys MILD. Standard staging places wandering and getting lost in familiar surroundings in the MODERATE stage; mild disease involves getting lost only in unfamiliar settings. Verify against the reference your group is using.