Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST) for Dementia

The Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST) is a reliable way to track Alzheimer's progression. It helps clinicians identify specific stages of decline. This scale breaks dementia down into seven distinct stages. It ranges from normal adult function to severe dementia and focuses on a patient's ability to perform daily tasks. Evaluators look at skills like dressing, bathing, and speech. Later levels include specific substages to pinpoint exactly where a person sits on the spectrum. This detail highlights changes in mobility and communication that broader scales often miss. Administering the FAST is quick and does not need long training. It is widely used to determine hospice eligibility and plan care. Doctors and nurses find it practical for explaining disease progression to families, so it supports better decisions for future support needs and long-term planning.