What can we expect to happen in the final stages of Alzheimer's?

I have another comment about end stage Alzheimer's disease, but this one is controversial. I believe in Palliative Care at the end of life. Once the person is at the last stage and recognizes no one, has significantly reduced awareness of his/her surroundings and very reduced quality of life, I suggest calling in Hospice, getting an evaluation and following their doctor's advice to stop all medications, unless something needs to remain to assist sleep or behavior challenges. I don't believe that we need to make sure the person lives longer at that point. We need to let nature take its course and to permit our loved one to leave us.

My mother was always in great physical shape and never wanted to sit down for more than a couple minutes. At the very end of her Alzheimer's, she started falling down because she would spend her days and nights walking the hallways of her assisted living facility. She lived with Daddy until three months before she died. he did the best he could but half the time her clothes were on backwards and dirty... And she kept falling down very hard... Slamming her head on the wood floor. I firmly believe the coumadin she was on caused her to bleed out. When they would put her to bed in the memory care unit she would pull herself out of the bed and fall on the floor. hospice was brought in and kept her comfortable and gave her drugs to help her relax .Finally she stopped eating and died a few days later. I strongly believe if we had put her in assisted living earlier in her progression she would have lived longer. But as her doctor told me, there was no upside to prolonging her life. She no longer had any quality of life, even though she would laugh and smile, she must have been in tremendous pain at the end and unable to tell us. It was so horrible to watch such an accomplished and intelligent woman become a blathering idiot squatting on the floor and going to the restroom in front of strangers. My mother was a very proper woman in her day. This disease is a heartbreaker and there is no upside. The best thing you that the person dies as soon as possible. I am telling you this and my mother was my best friend. I still prayed for her to die so she could go to heaven and be with her mother and not be confused and in pain anymore.

My husband is at that stage now too. He needs to be fed. He can't talk of do anything for himself. He seemed unaware of most things, but the other day I took the dog to visit and he came awake. I don't know if it will happen again but it was wonderful. He talked in understandable sentences, walked and smiled. All things I haven't seen for a couple of months. It was a marvelous and miraculous day for us! He is very healthy. Usually the Alz doesn't kill them, but some other thing, like cancer or heart disease, stroke. I figure he could live another 5 years like this. But I hope not. For his sake I wish he would go to sleep and not wake up. Life is really difficult for him, even though he doesn't know it. I don't believe in living that way could be enjoyable for anyone.. But I love him so much and just want him to go to Heaven and be normal again. I believe this with all my heart.

Stages 7: Very Severe Decline. Stage seven is the final stage of Alzheimer's disease. Because Alzheimer's disease is a terminal illness, patients in stage seven are nearing death. In stage seven of the disease, patients lose ability to respond to their environment or communicate.

To answer your question, yes, the symptoms can get worse. Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disease. It can eventually impact all areas of a person's functioning...talking, feeding, dressing, comprehension, etc. I encourage you to contact the Alzheimer's Association in your state. The national website is alz.org.

The brain will stop wanting food and he will pass. He will not feel hungry so don't feel bad. Or, vascular problems. This was explained to me by my wife's hospice nurse. There are pamphlets they can give you.

I think the decline of Alzheimer's has more to do with immobility than anything else. They usually succumb to pneumonia or blood clots. That's why I keep my mom going and I walk her daily.

The first Axiom is: When you know one Azheimer's diseased person, you know one Alzheimer's diseased person. The stages are generalizations from observing so many, but each person's illness progresses individually. The hospice agency and I thought my husband was near dying several times throughout four years.
He perked up and when he WAS close to dying, we didn't know it. He began having aspirational difficulties-he was wheezing-on Sunday. Hospice brought in a hospital bed Sunday night so his head could be raised. He never got out of that bed, he stopped eating and died three days later.

Cetude, after reading your comment I'm left wondering, can a person on Medicaid NOT have Hospice?

It's my understanding that all cases are not alike. I do know that we moved my mother last week from an assisted living to s nursing facility, and she has improved tremendously. I've heard this could be temporary, and I firmly believe in the power of prayer, and prayer is helping her.
To try and help answer the original question, just try and take one day at a time, and seek support from Alzheimer's Association. Try not to focus as much on the future, but take care of TODAY, one day at a time, making decisions as the need arises. This will make it much easier on you as a caregiver.
Blessings.

Thinking back to Edwardcaretaker's post.

Alzheimers robs the person, also of, physical feeling. Not as in someone who is physically paralyzed and no longer can feel their extremities. But someone might go out in -32F and freeze to death, or 115F and die of thirst. In both cases not being able to discern the danger they are putting themselves in.