The Last Stage of Alzheimer's: What You Need to Know | Brain Talks | Being Patient

[@oheyjennymay1699]

My fathers last stage lasted just a few weeks. He also had early onset. From the time of his diagnosis until he passed was exactly five years. The same thing also happened with my father and the morphine. His hospice bed was delivered to his home, he got in it that night, and never got out. As soon as he was given the morphine he was out, and the death rattle and “o” breathing began. I remember hospice having us take suckers and rub them in his mouth to help with the dryness from the “o” breathing. I had one hand on his heart, and the other holding one of his hands when his heart stopped. I’m just grateful I was able to get home and be with him those last six hours I got. He was there with me when I took my first breath, and I was there with him when he took his last.

[@lesliehardin7963]

Jenny May Do you mind me asking what is “o” breathing? My father in law is now in a hospital bed in his home and he doesn’t get out of it now. Sleeps 12 plus hours before we wake him up.

[@Beechepisode]

@@lesliehardin7963 I think it's referring to when the person begins breathing out of their mouth with their mouth stuck in an "o" shape. That's just my assumption, though.

[@harrycontos3847]

♥️

[@kimberlymarie3651]

My father also didn't get out of his hospice bed at home once the morphine started and other meds.

[@makaleka3706]

@@kimberlymarie3651😊

[@ansal2525]

My grandma died of Alzheimer's and when my mum tried to explain to other people what the disease was, many of them related it only and specifically to memory loss. Nevertheless, the disease develops beyond that. My grandma became incapable of talking, walking, eating by herself, and not even knowing when to go to the bathroom and when not, and how to do it. Our body is ruled by our brain and when it starts to die, so do other organs; one by one. That's precisely what happened to my grandma. People are very uninformed regarding Alzheimer's.

[@fionadwanell]

So sorry to hear about your Grandma :( my sincere condolences. I care for my elderly mother (86) at home, who is going through this now. She was a very active, fit, independent person up until the age of 82. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2018. She can no longer walk, move by herself, eat by herself, is double incontinent and most recently, her speech is now limited. I read, speak etc to her all the time. She can hear me and acknowledges I am there. It is really distressing for both the sufferer and carer. It's a horrible brain disease that slowly shuts down all cognitive functions, and I agree that people really need to do their research.

[@garysmith789]

My mother was the most intelligent person I ever knew. It broke my heart watching her disappear. My mother died of something like Alzheimer’s. She had mini stokes for some time before she had a major stroke. My father dealt with things like most men who have been through some horrific situations in life. Stiff upper lip. At first he assumed we could fix anything so he just ignored the situation or beat our head against the wall. I have traveled the world my whole career. So it was easier for me to ignore the situation when I started to notice a change or she would just put father on the phone after saying hello. My mother had a major stroke. Unbeknown to any one my mother allowed my sister to take control of her medical decisions. My sister put her in a medical care facility after her stroke. My mother had a DNR with no intravenous feeding which my sister ignored. My mother was completely incapacitated for about 6 months and I believe suffered everyday. At our weekly visits she would just hold my hand and say “HOME HOME HOME”. My other daughter NP, sister and myself with the help of my attorneys got us permission to take her home and made her comfortable in her own bed. The hospice nurse arrived and my mother passed a little less than an hour later. She was done when she had the major stroke and wanted to go then. I will never forgive my sister for torchering her for those 6 months. I am not sure I will ever be able to forgive myself for not learning more about the situation and how my mother should have been treated. Thank you for telling your stories

[@anneober9891]

I hope you can forgive, that's how all sorta kids who want to use all means to.. act and it ends sibling bonds. it hurts you. my brother in law is a big drunk now because he can't stop that and his mo.. stroke series lingers on. he acts tortured and enraged. it's worse for a young mom nurse who must comply, endlessly. med costs go mostly to this wasted inhumane but insured or available services. my mom lost it and I left for my new family even with a good sibling and in-laws, I am still angry and terrified and guilty.it is accelerated with negativity. God bless us all hear podcast dr mary Newman.

[@tinamckay-iv3tf]

My mother just died two weeks ago, alone in her memory care center. They found her at 4:30 am. I'm still so heartbroken. I believe she started to really decline after breaking her hip in April.

[@mrs.e3909]

Finance is such a big part of this as far as looking ahead. How can a family possibly pay the prices of memory care, or sacrifice their property to have the help from Medicare. It is so overwhelming.

[@tinamckay-iv3tf]

Put your property in a trust. Put her financial accounts in someone's name , and get her on medicaid ! Nothing in her name.

[@tommaxwell429]

I'm dealing with this disease with my wife and I have no understanding of it at all. This looks like a really informative video but the audio from the doctor is so bad I can't understand half of what she is saying. Sad!

[@lingyu0620]

My mom was diagnosed an early stage of dementia five or six years ago, and her situation had been fairly stable, until my dad got hospitalised in Jan 2020 and died a few month later due to cancer. She sunk into deep depression after that and It took us almost a year to get her back on her feet. Then she got a stroke in 2021 March. Doctor did warn us that her brain was further damaged and indeed her mind deteriorated very quickly. She now always call me her sister, brother or even her mom, and sometimes she think she is still in her teenage. She could only walk slowly and unsteadily, she forget the correct words for ever simple things, and she talks with her own logic and we could only guess. Good thing that she could still swallow properly for most of the time. I think she is already in the later stages.

[@lyndae.2055]

Thank you for sharing...I am helping a neighbor with this and hoping her family will be coming soon for her. So She will be with family...Jean is only in her early 60's and is wonderful person...

[@DreamsOfFinland]

there are many instances where a person nearing death from Alzheimer's becomes able to speak and carry on short significant conversations, they also recognize people. This means we don't lose "our memory" . I took care of my father who did not speak but we communicated with hand squeezes, smile, tears, eyes. I have Alzheimer's now and was unable to get out of bed and dressed 4 years ago, I started cbd oil and am walking dog, cook food some days. It slowed my decline? People tell me I don't have it because I "talk". For me it feels like living with a different set of eyes, I feel more connected to earth, and I have to move soon. I also helped my Dad's dry mouth with a soft cloth wet on his tongue. The only thing that ever feels "thirsty" is the tongue. Both parents no food no water peaceful deaths by end of 5 days. I hope I'm that lucky but whatever. appreciate these women talking about the end of life and comfort, how it matters.

[@bendyprissy]

A lot of time was spent talking about what nursing home to put the family member in & when but no time was spent talking about when the family member must stay at home for the duration of the disease due to finances. Nursing homes for Alzheimer's patients are very expensive, more than my monthly rent. My parents did not handle their finances well and now are living with me. My father has Alzheimer's. It would have been helpful to address the issues & expectancies of taking care of the family member at home until death, perhaps with the hospice aspect since the discussion addresses end of life care.

[@libertysprings2244]

Once u.s citizens run out of money, in the u.s. at least they will qualify for Medicaid. If their monthly income from pensions etc is too high then you can still do an income trust where the money goes to the government when they die but it is just a legal workaround (completely legal ) to qualify for Medicaid. Most elderly people in care homes are on Medicaid since it is very expensive and most people quickly run out of money. Just be sure the care home accepts Medicaid or they may have to move once that happens which is distressing to have new different caregivers and companions and surroundings causing additional decline

[@L.J.H.-sg6eb]

Thank you so much for your informative videos. Amazing platform and excellent guests. Helped me so much with my Mom. She has Alzheimers and Lewy Body Dementia. ❤🎉

[@BeingPatientAlzheimers]

Thanks for the love! We're happy to hear that our videos have been so helpful.

[@malcolmfraser7939]

Thanks for you for your discussion. My mother died last Tuesday morning 12 February from this disease. My lovely mum died in exactly the same way as Jasja Kotterrnman described her mum's decline. She lost her cognitive reasoning, i.e. here ability to play bridge, then scrabble, watch tv , first.Then her mobilty, followed by her speech. Over the space of two months. Her hearing was there till the end. And her sense of touch. We held her hand and gave her losts of kisses right through the night till the end. She declined in the space of three months. The one thing I find hard to understand is in comparison with others ladies, her friends who have Alzheimer's, my mother has gone so quickly. I kept her in her home and we visited a care home near by for about three years. These are others ladies, her friends who have this disease have settled on a plateau of forgetfulness, and slight cognitive imparement. That is, they think I am the Care Home owner, or one of them thinks I am her husband, another asks questions at the same time every afternoon, she is in the Sundowning phase. "Who is taking me upstsirs to my bed ? She repats at 3.30 pm every day. What is keeping them going where my mother has declined so rapidly ? Is it their medicine ? Is it they get better care in the Care Home ?

[@lauriechmielecki6576]

My husband Stanley passed at home where he wanted to be with family around him !

[@lauriechmielecki6576]

I sang a medley of songs to my late husband Stanley when he was dying from cancer in 2015 !

[@Seektru]

With my dad, at the end, we told our dad that it was okay for him to go. We told him that mom would be fine. We told him we loved him, but go do what he needed to do. He passed after one week.

[@maxrazzini6205]

I just went through this exact scenario on December 3rd with my pops it's absolutely horrid but I'm so grateful to be there for him to the very end as well as every other person in my family he died in a house full of loving family that was wishing him the best. It's very very difficult to bear that death rattle has burned a hole in my soul

[@harrycontos3847]

@@maxrazzini6205 I'm sorry, but I'm glad your family all were there

[@kimberlymarie3651]

I told my dad the same thing while I was holding his hand. I told him he didn't have to worry about Mom we'll take care of her and he passed away a few minutes after I told him Mom would be ok.

[@kimberlymarie3651]

​@@maxrazzini6205 I agree , the death rattle was hard to hear.

[@suemiller1947]

If I get to the point where I could not care for myself, my wish would be please someone put wetting drops in my eyes. With out them I can not open my eyes and the dryness is painful...

[@Cheri889]

I wish the sound was better...

[@elizabethkoroshegyi270]

Good information

[@ChristopherMorris42]

Thank you all.

[@fightalzheimer7892]

I do appreciate for this diacussion as currently our #AlzheimerMom is about in the late stage..😢

[@pauladuncanadams1750]

I was listening to another KZbin on this subject, and they said not to ask the person if it hurts because "No" is the first word you learn and the last word left. Maybe all they can really say is no? Nonverbal ques, like "clutching her chest," are maybe a better indicator?

[@sarjeetkaur3426]

My husband is suffering now... he is 62 yrs old..and he got it before 23 yrs ago...Its very difficult for me to handle him...

[@elizabethkoroshegyi270]

Lot to learn about this disease

[@elizabethkoroshegyi270]

Thanks

[@cristinagutierrez123]

I have a question, I have a 90 year old mom who has Alzheimer's She never complains about any pain, but here I hear about pain on their mother, and I want to hear what kind of pain you are all talking about. Thank you.

[@arlenehacker8302]

How do you know when you're at the end

[@lauriechmielecki6576]

So sorry!

[@bathsheba9581]

What is wrong with suicide or euthanasia for these patients? Who would want to go through such misery and wind up with the same inevitable end, death. I don't know why it's so difficult to broach this topic. It is cowardice.

[@TomokoAbe_]

Assisted suicide is 100% illegal in most states. Even with hospice giving patients narcotics, death by dehydration is a very slow horrible process often taking two to three weeks. That's why I put a feeding tube in mom. I won't let her die like that. No way! Hospice nurses cannot overdose the dying patients either..they can get charged with murder.

[@kevinfalcao8657]

Bathsheba , Religion and logical thought are opposing forces. We have to broach DEATH PARTICULARLY for end of natural life head - on. Non medical people are out of this cradle to grave loop, and are often overcome by their emotions. I am one of them . My parents were God fearing Christians. My mother was a saint in her approach to others. She was NOT reconciled to death and wanted to live. Both parents died of cancer within 30 days of each other. At the end of MY life I have asked for NO assistance. This is because I had experienced their end of life ordeal. I honestly believe we MUST have this discussion and include religious LEADERS of all denominations. I also feel the PROFESSIONS that deal with this situation have to be honest and compassionate failing wich they should be dealt with severely. Just my opinion.

[@echase416]

Tomoko Abe Maybe in your country

[@dickwizzler8440]

@@echase416 in the us it is illegal.

[@kevinhead5795]

Another disgusting disease, and another reason not to have kids,life is a joke

[@jestinasakanyi1227]

Thank you very much for this information. My husband is suffering from dementia. He can't bath himself, he can't eat any food given on his own, zipping his trousers and fastening his belt is a problem. He is always talking to himself. Could this be the last stage of Alzheimer's? Please help me Doctor.

[@donnagriffin9095]

We just notice my sister whispers to herself I also wonder why

[@TomokoAbe_]

I revoked mom's hospice which only took seconds, so they feeding tube can be put in. Her regular Medicare paid for that. Once in--which is only a ten minute surgery with a local--she tolerated the tube feed and water flushes well so she got readmitted to hospice on discharge. That took only seconds.

[@laurahendrie3896]

Your interview with Teepa Snow was a great intelligent start-she’s the best-and you might also greatly profit from interviewing Katherine Mannix who wrote With the End in Mind, a revolutionary book that discusses what happens at death. I’ve read all the books , or almost, and this one should be read by anyone who’s not seen death up close before and either fears or dreads it in themselves or others. It also very correctly addresses what hospice is about and-contrary to what many of your commenters think about it below-what it is not.

[@traceylok675]

Pity about Dr Sampson's poor sound quality. Miss a lot of what she's saying.

[@ingridhamilton7746]

It took my mom four long days and nights to die after she stopped taking liquids... And I know the morphine I gave her helped, but I still worried how painful it might be to have your insides shrivel up without the needed moisture?

[@kwhadda]

I believe my mother has been in stage 6 for at least a month. She seems to have rapidly lost "normal" thoughts and connections. She still uses many words although she uses some incorrectly and substitutes for the ones she loses. She also loses train of thought mid sentence or changes track. She calls me "mom", forgets her children and forgets my father died many years ago. I suppose my question(s) are: Do the stages speed up when you reach the later stages? Do the swallowing problems come and go for awhile? My mother periodically has had swallowing problems for the past 5 months where she tells me she just has too much spit and she doesn't know what to do except wipe her mouth. This happens 1 or 2 times a month then it resolves itself. I thought that the swallowing was very end stage 7 yet she has been having these bouts for a few months.

[@shirleycraig8425]

I would be interested to see what stsge she is in now ...May 2019. It doesnt sound like she is in stage 6 at the time of writing. As mentioned everyone is so different.

[@kwhadda]

@@shirleycraig8425 she is definitely late stage 7 now. Bedridden as of late December. Is refusing all food. Will only drink. Can still speak but mostly one word replies. No complaints and is comfortable and mostly happy. Agaitation phase ended in stage

[@adain6047]

@@kwhadda how is it going now

[@margaretserehagel6820]

I have a hard time understanding the doctor accent

[@oxennguyen3148]

Also the sounds on her end is cutting low off and on.

[@fabulousfinds1045]

This would have been an excellent video but honestly I couldnt understand a thing the dr was saying and the audio was really bad too...

[@6821hominy]

Bad sound and her accent I could not understand. Went to another video.

[@MW-wk5oo]

The very poor sound from the doctor's microphone makes the a good much needed information frustrating to listen to and renders the programme useless. Please make sure the sound quality is reasonable to make a valuable programme put out the public is worthwhile.

[@debbiehorn8263]

bad sound

[@albertodelatorre8926]

It’s barbaric that a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can’t create an advance directive and opt for euthanasia.

[@donnascrivens4648]

Yes 100% agree let’s hope this changes in the future. I know my mother wouldn’t want to be living a life with pure dependence on others.

[@mhaun100]

I agree

[@susancollins3015]

agree

[@NickanM]

100%. If my grandfather would have known beforehand what he was going to go through, I KNOW that he would have taken his hunting rifle ending himself. We all went through hell, but he suffered the most.

[@susancollins3015]

it's barbaric watching someone with advanced dimentia die helpless to help them when we have the medicines available...we seem to be going backwards rather than more civilised.

[@TheBASEDGOD-s4k]

Bruh I thought they like would forget how to breathe 💀

[@sharonstevens111]

?