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I know this is a long out there question..but my mom is in stage 7..she cannot feed herself cannot walk..cannot care on a full conversation..there are using a hoyer on her she loss control of bowels and all..does stage 7 know to last as long as the other stages..i heard 1-6 years..just curious..

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Hello All
Only just joined in. Been with my beloved 66 year old husband for several hours today. I'm with him most days. He's in a Care Home. He's in Stage 7 - diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers in 2010 aged 58. He choked badly yesterday and today carers and me in tears as we thought he was entering his 'end of life' phase as hadn't eaten or drunk for 24 hours. What happens next : he perks up, accepts his supper (puréed), drinks his thickened juice, tries to sing along to Classic FM, answers no when I ask if he's ever sung that song and smiles at me!! He's VERY thin, bedridden (5 months now), doubly incontinent, hardly speaks, pulls at his bedding constantly but continues to love his classical music, and seems to know me in and out of his staring into space. I can't believe this terrible state of affairs can go on for much longer, and the above posts fill me with dread - another few years? Please no, for his sake. I weep constantly as he was a vibrant classical singer and Home Office Civil Servant, and our retirement has been stolen from us. The cruelty of dementia. I feel for you all. Truly I do. With love to all who suffer.
Josephine xxx
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Catsmima Sep 2018
Our situations are so similar ! My Ex was also diagnosed at 58 - now 68!
I became involved when he was a Stage 4 at age 65. Three years later he is now a Late Stage - 7B.
Although he has not been able to do anything for himself for a year now; he could walk. Broken hip in June of this year and surgery has taken that away . I care for him in my home and last month placed on Hospice. He sleeps 18-20 hours; but when up he sits in his chair and hums.....being non verbal ..... no words, but hums.
No words can describe how horrible this disease is ......
being classified as a “ stair stepper “, I check on him throughout the night and fear finding he has passed.
He does not gradually go from Stage to Stage ( 4 Stages in 4 years), but rather goes to sleep one person and wakes up another.
My heart goes out to you and pray for you to have strength as you go through this journey with your husband.
Catsmima
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Hi Motherof5,
Oh dear, no, Stage 7 doesn't last anywhere near 6 years. There is no exact time frame but people in this weakened condition are susceptible to a variety of health problems, which speeds up the time of their passing. The brain is no longer sending signals to the body (like hunger, talking, repositioning, elimination, etc.). That's why they don't react.

I hate to be so blunt but often the immobility (bedridden status), coupled with the lack of cough reflex (from weakness), coupled with the swallowing difficulties (where food and liquid can be sucked into their lungs) can turn into pneumonia. Pneumonia is what finally terminates their life. Or, they succumb to systemic infections because they have a compromised immune system. My best guess would be 6-12 months. If you aggressively try to treat the infections (pneumonias, other infections, etc.) you will be prolonging her life (and suffering) to only stretch out the inevitable, her passing. If she is on any medications, and is unable to swallow them, then she could have deterioration from the lack of medications also. But placing a feeding tube (a gastrostomy tube put directly into the stomach by a hole made in the abdomen) doesn't always help either. My dad had one when he was in the dying process and the liquid food just stayed in the stomach-it didn't move down like it was supposed to. They had to stop the "feedings" because his body was taking over and was in "dying mode".

They have done studies that suggest that letting the body's natural course take place is the least painful and least disturbing to the patient. That is how I will let my mom be on her way (she's in stage 6).

We normally treat any physical problem but, in this case, the body is trying to shut down and we are preventing that from happening by giving treatment (medications, tubes for feeding, etc.).


See on this board; How long can a person live after reaching the last stages of Alzheimer's Disease
Asked by neiseo99

God bless you Momof5, this is a heart wrenching time.
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Thekay Feb 2019
My mother is now in stage 6. She is 85 and has been in it for I would guess 9 months. How is your mother now and how long does stage 6 last at an advanced age? Mom was diagnosed 5 years ago but her memory/cognition has greatly declined in these past 9 months. She is incontinent but can change her depends. She can pull herself out of bed with the help of the railing and shuffles with a walker. I am just trying to figure out timelines and what to prepare for.
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my dad is also in stage 7 and has stopped swallowing and to watch him leave this earth is very painful. I've taken care of my dad for the past 12 years and have seen the progression of Alzheimer's. It breaks my heart to see him deteriorate and not be able to do anything to stop it . I thought about the feeding tube but after reading many articles and speaking too doctors I decided against it .
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Thanks so much for everyone comments and help to understand...my mom is the only one in our family that has alz...so this is all new to me...thanks again..
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Oh Josephine, I am very sorry and feel awful for both of you. He's SO young, it's just not fair. I can imagine your heart is breaking. May God give you comfort.

For both your sakes, I hope the Good Lord is merciful and brings your husband home to Heaven to rest and be well again.
I will include you both in our prayers at night. Hold on to God for strength.
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Josephine, Bless your heart! Sending many hugs your way! I am so sorry for the both of you. Dementia is so very, very cruel! I thought watching loved ones die from cancer was the worst, but I was so wrong! God bless you both & give you the strength & peace to keep going forward in faith.
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My mom has been stage seven for over a year. She is incontinent, bowel and bladder. She is hand fed and given drinks. She hasn't walked in over 2 years. She mostly just rambles, but occasionally will surprise us with a coherent sentence. The only med she takes is a small dose of Seroquel to help with agitation. Her swallow is still fairly strong, but she is beginning to have a delay and needs to be prompted. She still has the cough reflex. She eats/drink about 800-1,000 calories a day but is losing weight, 15 lbs in the past 3 months putting her at a whapping 80 lbs. She has great skin with no break down. She still smiles and occasionally still tells me she loves me. I have no idea how long she will be with us. I just spend each day loving her and making her as happy and comfortable as possible. We, too, will let her go naturally...no feeding tubes or ER for her. Sorry no answer to your question. I often think I wish I knew when it would happen. I think she could go tomorrow or it may be a couple years. Hang in there and just love your mom.
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We are easily on four years, and have been told this may last another few years. Mom has great care. No walking for six years, no self feeding for three years, or toileting for at least six years, marginal speech - "yes," "no," sometimes, but not always. No smiles. Skin is breaking down - three years ago she was put on hospice and then discharged once the bedsore issue was resolved. 
I check her weight at the facility monthly - she is gaining weight because she is like a goldfish, and eats everything they offer to her. 
We have been told that this could go on for several more years, easily. Save your money. It only gets worse.
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Mother has vascular dementia, but I have read that the final stages of the dementias are similar. She was put on "comfort care" (basically hospice - we are in Canada) about a year ago. She is immobile, (needs a wheelchair and Hoyer lift) and only says a few words, but recognises family. She still enjoys food, is fed pureed foods, and hasn't lost any weight, nor does she get infections. Her colouring is great - pink cheeks! She is 105, coming up 106 in May, and could live like this for some time yet, I think. She sleeps in the afternoons and through the night. We moved her to an NH in October (from an ALF) and they do a great job of caring for her, and trying to engage her in activities, like attending a sing song, but she is not much interested. At times, she says she is in pain, (muscles and joints, I believe) so I have authorized them upping the doses of painkillers as needed. She has been ready to go since she reached 100, but her body isn't ready. There is not much quality of life at this stage.
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This is a question that my wife have been asking and I will share our experience with you.

My mother-in-law has been suffering for about 10 years and has lived with us for the last three years and passed away recently. The first answer that I've learned is that the end usually comes as a result of a complication (broken hip, infection, pneumonia).

My mother-in-law started wondering about a year ago and got very unsteady about 4 months ago, commonly just collapsing as she stood or was walking. Two months ago she wondered into the front yard, got to the driveway, collapsed and broke her hip. She then went into the hospital and had hip surgery and the anesthesia dramatically increased her dementia. She was transported to a skilled nursing facility and hospice was brought in to help us manage the process. They put her on pain meds to keep her comfortable. After the hospital, she was 99% non-communicative. She didn't eat anything substantially for about 45 days and ultimately wasn't able to take any fluids. After 5 days she passed.

My understanding is that this is a very common scenario with dementia and just thought that I'd share. Good luck to you.
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