My husband has had obvious symptoms for 10 years. We are now entering the 11th year of decline. He is now entering the final stage. He needs 100% done for him. At least he lets me help him in the bathroom. After 2 years of diarrhea, he is finally letting me put him on the toilet as Bob DeMarco suggests. Works if they let you do it. He refused to allow me into the bathroom until recently. He was going in to the bathroom and pooping all over the floor, on the walls, everywhere. Yesterday I caught him going out in the garage to poop. I have read on here that they go in closets, anywhere they think might be a private place. I found poop out in the garage the other day and thought my dog did it until I found a turd up on a box! I knew the dog couldn't do that! It is extremely stressful and exhausting to clean up after him. Eventhough he needs help in every activity of daily living, he CAN STILL walk and go wherever he wants to go. He has never walked out of the house to go elsewhere. He does go out to spin a big artificial flower I have out in the garden. Then he comes in. My dogs alert me when he goes out. I also have a GPS system on his wrist, and a warning system on the doors to let me know when he goes out. I wish he would progress quickly to the in bed stage. Then I could put him in a nursing home. He still wants to be wherever I am and he seems happy 95% of the time every day. That is what is important! But I am really getting so tired of being isolated in the home with him. I do have a VA Caregiver who comes for 10 hours a week. But he still won't let her do anything for him. That is frustrating. Hopefully as he is declining further into this final stage, he will allow her to help him in the bathroom, dressing, washing, teeth brushing, shaving, etc. I am hoping this won't last more than 4 more years! I would like to have a life again.
Well I asked the consultant this only 2 days ago and also a consultant in Dementia about3 months ago and their responses were as follows.
SO little is known about dementia that it is almost impossible to tell. It depends on several (for several read limitless) factors.
They include: Age at start of onset (rarely known - most only have a diagnoses after several years it is thought) Heredity (although heredity is not necessarily a factor (WTF?) What type of dementia is in the family if any (so genetic ..yes? erm NO) Whether they have had falls Whether they have had strokes Whether any other type of dementia is present or will develop - oh can you track this - erm NO it is mainly known after death - well thats helpful - NOT How healthy they are What stimulation is present - movement, interests, people How well they eat/drink What medication they are on could be put on that will assist (albeit not suited for all and to date quite limited)
The consultant in dementia said my mum had about 8 years - from mild to moderate stages - when he saw her - Hell I could have diagnosed that she is 92
The consultant I saw 2 days ago had more clarity. He said it was impossible to determine how long each stage would last as dementia for each and every person is individual to them or as far as they can tell it is. He said it generally speaking follows two pathways - either a general gradual slope of decline or a stepped decline. My mum seems to have the stepped variety as she plateaus for quite some time - that is usually followed by a fall or a UTI and we go down a step.
He added decline is not always mental as I expected - the decline can be in the physicality as well. Right now mums brain as far as function is plateauing but her mobility is in decline.
The usual (read average) duration of Alzheimers is about 8-10 years but it has been much less (probably due to a late diagnosis) and sometimes much more - as long as 25 years
If they have a mixed dementia - i.e. Alzheimers and vascular dementia then the time span may reduce to 5 years
There is no CONCRETE time span for each stage so he told me and it does vary widely between individuals. Sorry that is not more helpful - just telling you what I was told by two eminent specialist in their field
Once a person is diagnosed with this disease, they will move back and forth through the stages. I think stages are BS. I prefer Early, Mid, Late, dead,
Are you asking about the average length of each stage of Alzheimer's? From MCI to late stage Alzheimer's. Once a person is diagnosed with this disease, then they will move through the stages at varying rates, Also the stages are not hard and fast, persons, IMO, drift into the next stage. Thus keeping a diary of their behaviors is very important, so you can see real changes in their behaviors. When you are a caregiver, then it is harder to see changes because you are there every day. I suspect you are looking for more concrete answers. As the phrase goes, when you have seen one person with Alzheimer's, you have seen one person with Alzheimer's.
SO little is known about dementia that it is almost impossible to tell. It depends on several (for several read limitless) factors.
They include:
Age at start of onset (rarely known - most only have a diagnoses after several years it is thought)
Heredity (although heredity is not necessarily a factor (WTF?)
What type of dementia is in the family if any (so genetic ..yes? erm NO)
Whether they have had falls
Whether they have had strokes
Whether any other type of dementia is present or will develop - oh can you track this - erm NO it is mainly known after death - well thats helpful - NOT
How healthy they are
What stimulation is present - movement, interests, people
How well they eat/drink
What medication they are on could be put on that will assist (albeit not suited for all and to date quite limited)
The consultant in dementia said my mum had about 8 years - from mild to moderate stages - when he saw her - Hell I could have diagnosed that she is 92
The consultant I saw 2 days ago had more clarity. He said it was impossible to determine how long each stage would last as dementia for each and every person is individual to them or as far as they can tell it is. He said it generally speaking follows two pathways - either a general gradual slope of decline or a stepped decline. My mum seems to have the stepped variety as she plateaus for quite some time - that is usually followed by a fall or a UTI and we go down a step.
He added decline is not always mental as I expected - the decline can be in the physicality as well. Right now mums brain as far as function is plateauing but her mobility is in decline.
The usual (read average) duration of Alzheimers is about 8-10 years but it has been much less (probably due to a late diagnosis) and sometimes much more - as long as 25 years
If they have a mixed dementia - i.e. Alzheimers and vascular dementia then the time span may reduce to 5 years
There is no CONCRETE time span for each stage so he told me and it does vary widely between individuals. Sorry that is not more helpful - just telling you what I was told by two eminent specialist in their field
I suspect you are looking for more concrete answers. As the phrase goes, when you have seen one person with Alzheimer's, you have seen one person with Alzheimer's.