How long can someone last if they are in late stage 6 - early stage 7?

My sister just went into an Alzheimer's ward at a lovely progressive care place. She has been there since Monday, Nov 17 and seemed to be all right at first but now is miserable, crying, etc., so is there any chance that she will adapt to the situation and feel better?

Thank all of you caring people for your support and love. My Dad is 90 years old. Two years ago a neurologist told me yes, he has Alzheimers,he can't drive,meds won't help,just do your best. Then he shook our hands and left. So I never got the exact stage. Now he fluctuates between stage 6&7.He also has aphasia so I have to second guess and be a mind reader LOL. Sunny girl , my Dad sounds like your loved one. Sometimes good days and sometimes I feel he's ready to check out. Trying to stay positive and I realize God never gives us more than we can handle. God bless you all!

Garyowen,
I wish I knew the answer to your question as my loved one is at about the same stage. She has all the characteristics of stage 6 and I'm wondering how long before she will develop stage 7. She went from stage 4 to stage 6 very quickly, but she does have Vascular Dementia mixed with Alzheimers. I have read that Vascular Dementia patients often have a lower life expectancy, than a standard Alxheimers patient.

Some days I'm led to believe it's near, if she has little to say or has no appetite, then the next day, she'll be more engaged and eat okay. So, I'm not sure what to think.

There is a life expectancy calculator online that I looked at once. You can google for it. It gives percentages of people with certain characteristics of dementia and how long before they need nursing care, how long before they died. I'm not sure how much you could rely on it. You do have to know the score your loved one had when they tested them for dementia.

There is no way to tell for sure. If the person is eligible and goes on hospice, the hospice workers can sometimes make reasonable estimates based on their experiences with other clients, and this is especially true near the very end. But even hospice staff cannot really answer the question "how long can they last?" with any degree of accuracy.

I am very sorry you are in this situation. Getting hospice involved may be a comfort to you and to your loved one.

Jessie is right, there is no telling how long the stage will last.

My boss's wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 14years ago, she was in what looked like her final stage or close to it. On the way back from a routine doctor appointment that went well, she died in the car on the way home... took everyone by surprise.

There is no telling how long the stages will last. Sorry you are having to go through this.