End-Stage Alzheimer’s

“Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack.”

-Henry Miller (1891 ~ 1980)

 

 

When someone dies suddenly, there is no time to prepare and grief floods you after the unexpected loss.  In the case of terminal illness, you grieve throughout the dying process of your loved one.  You may even face very difficult decisions. 

It is important to realize that there is an actual “process of dying” that the body goes through before life extinguishes completely.  Understanding these mechanisms can help you through the difficulties of watching someone linger.  In the case of Alzheimer’s death, it is especially beneficial to know and understand what is happening inside the body in order to prevent undue suffering for the patient and yourself.

Many people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease will actually die of another condition.  They can suffer strokes, heart attacks, cancer, renal failure, etc.  When not afflicted with other life-threatening conditions or fragile health, however, the Alzheimer’s patient will continue to deteriorate until their brain no longer communicates with their body enough to sustain life.  

Remember, the brain is the body’s control center.  In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, the brain stops recalling certain memories and how to perform simple tasks.  During the moderate span of the disease, messages affecting such things as speech, coordination, and continence become short circuited. 

At the end-stages, the brain rarely signals the throat when to swallow.  The patient becomes very thin and drawn.  Watching someone dear wither in this manner is very difficult for family and friends.  Some people opt to have a feeding tube surgically inserted into their relative’s stomach for fear they are “starving to death.” 

While this phase is painful to watch, it does not prove painful for the patient.  In fact, injecting food when there are no signals instructing the digestive system can cause the Alzheimer’s patient unnecessary discomfort and painful cramping.

As the body tapers from life, the patient slips from consciousness.  There is stillness.  All remaining functions—breathing, heart rate, and metabolism—retard their pace.  With so little activity, little is needed and the body’s diminished rhythm can steadily maintain itself for many days without food or water.       

We all know that death is inevitable, but we usually leave the matter of when and how up to forces beyond our control.  No one can predict the time-frame from when a person enters the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease until their point of death.  Some may last only hours, others days and some will linger for weeks.  The important thing is to provide them with physical and environmental comfort while surrounding their spirit with love. 

Cherish and honor your beloved Alzheimer’s patient throughout all the time you both share and may suffer so you hold no regret after their end has come.  

For additional information about the end-stage of Alzheimer’s disease and the dying process, visit the following online locations:

• Alzheimer’s Association – Stages of Alzheimer’s
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
• Alzheimer's dsease: Anticipating end-of-life needs (Article) 
• Late Stage and End-of-life Alzheimer’s Care:  Caregiving in the Final Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (Article)