FAST Score Dementia Calculator: Understand the 7 Stages
Updated August 2026
This tool is for educational purposes only and is not a diagnostic. The FAST assessment should be administered by a licensed clinician and is only designed for patients with a medical diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
Key facts
- FAST has 7 stages based on changes in everyday function.
- Stage 5 begins when a person needs help choosing appropriate clothing.
- Stage 6 has 5 substages, covering help with dressing, bathing, toileting, and continence.
- The CMS GUIDE Model (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience), Medicare's dementia care program, groups FAST 1–4 as mild and FAST 5–7 as moderate or severe.
- GUIDE respite care may provide up to $2,625 in PY2026 for an eligible person at FAST 5–7 who has an unpaid caregiver.
FAST Dementia Assessment
Are you taking this test for yourself, or for a loved one?
What is the FAST scale for dementia?
The Functional Assessment Staging Tool, or FAST, is a seven-stage scale that describes how Alzheimer's disease affects everyday abilities. It focuses on function—such as managing finances, choosing clothes, bathing, and walking—rather than memory test results alone. This calculator helps you estimate which description best matches you or your loved one.
| FAST stage | What it generally describes |
|---|---|
| 1 | Normal adult function |
| 2 | Subjective forgetfulness |
| 3 | Changes others notice or trouble with demanding work tasks |
| 4 | Help needed with complex tasks, such as finances or planning a meal |
| 5 | Help needed to choose appropriate clothing |
| 6 | Help needed with dressing, bathing, or toileting; urinary or bowel incontinence may develop |
| 7 | Speech becomes very limited, followed by loss of walking, sitting, smiling, and head control |
How do you calculate a FAST score for dementia?
Answer the assessment questions using the person's current everyday abilities, then choose the stage that most closely matches their function. The result is an educational estimate, not a diagnosis. FAST should be administered by a licensed clinician and is designed for people who already have a medical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
Why does a FAST score matter for Medicare GUIDE support?
GUIDE can support eligible people at any dementia stage, but its respite benefit has a narrower rule. The person must have moderate or severe dementia—FAST 5 through 7 or CDR 2 through 3—and an unpaid primary caregiver. A GUIDE program's clinical assessment, not this calculator, determines the official tier.
If your result is FAST 5–7, Check Your Eligibility for GUIDE support. Takes about 2 minutes — no medical records needed. You can also call (917) 789-1269. Manta Care is a directory service and is not affiliated with Medicare.