How do people actually die from Alzheimer’s Disease?
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From watching my grandma fade away over 8 years, my take was that she forgot progressively about everything; first daily tasks, facts, then people, places, feelings, proprioception, active movement, bodily functions, swallowing, sleeping, being awake and finally breathing. She was well taken care of and the whole family visited daily (we took turns as to not overwhelm her and the facility staff), my mom held her as a child in her arms the last day, when she finally sighed and closed her eyes. Forgetting to keep living is how we best describe it.
From watching my grandma fade away over 8 years, my take was that she forgot progressively about everything; first daily tasks, facts, then people, places, feelings, proprioception, active movement, bodily functions, swallowing, sleeping, being awake and finally breathing. She was well taken care of and the whole family visited daily (we took turns as to not overwhelm her and the facility staff), my mom held her as a child in her arms the last day, when she finally sighed and closed her eyes. Forgetting to keep living is how we best describe it.
Geriatric psychiatrist here-by far and away the most deaths that can be directly attributed to Alzheimer’s disease (or most dementias in general) is pneumonia. As dementias progress in severity over time, individuals stricken with the illness tend to lose control of some of their autonomic muscular actions.
Unfortunately, these individuals begin to aspirate their food, drink, and even their saliva. When this occurs it can cause severe pneumonia. This can lead to the need for intubation/respiratory failure and possibly sepsis. Due to the nature of the loss of swallowing control it becomes an eventuality that they will pass away from pneumonia, even with extreme medical interventions such as IV antibiotics, feeding tube placements, and being placed on a ventilator.
Geriatric psychiatrist here-by far and away the most deaths that can be directly attributed to Alzheimer’s disease (or most dementias in general) is pneumonia. As dementias progress in severity over time, individuals stricken with the illness tend to lose control of some of their autonomic muscular actions.
Unfortunately, these individuals begin to aspirate their food, drink, and even their saliva. When this occurs it can cause severe pneumonia. This can lead to the need for intubation/respiratory failure and possibly sepsis. Due to the nature of the loss of swallowing control it becomes an eventuality that they will pass away from pneumonia, even with extreme medical interventions such as IV antibiotics, feeding tube placements, and being placed on a ventilator.
Patients often begin to have problems swallowing and drinking, something that is called aspiration, where the food and / or drink can end up going into the lungs instead of the stomach.
To stop that happening, doctors can suggest to the family of the patient to start feeding and watering by a tube put down the throat. Many families – and the patients themselves – do not want this, and the doctors give an option to remove food and water entirely. Apart from a wet sponge or tissue sometimes held against a patient’s tongue to give them a moment’s respite, these are all the fluids they get. They will also get a ramped up amount of pain relief at this time.
The result of that is many people in these situations die of dehydration. Pretty horrible to think about that.
Patients often begin to have problems swallowing and drinking, something that is called aspiration, where the food and / or drink can end up going into the lungs instead of the stomach.
To stop that happening, doctors can suggest to the family of the patient to start feeding and watering by a tube put down the throat. Many families – and the patients themselves – do not want this, and the doctors give an option to remove food and water entirely. Apart from a wet sponge or tissue sometimes held against a patient’s tongue to give them a moment’s respite, these are all the fluids they get. They will also get a ramped up amount of pain relief at this time.
The result of that is many people in these situations die of dehydration. Pretty horrible to think about that.
There’s 7 stages of dementia and if you survive long enough to get to the last stage you’re basically just a body that can’t support itself. You don’t eat, converse, ambulate and basically just waste away. You can die from a bunch of things like choking, falling, bedsores that get infected, malnutrition along that process. There is NO benefit to placing a feeding tube (PEG/NG) during this process and unfortunately just prolongs the process. Too many families decide to go down this route and it just causes unnecessary additional problems to an already hopeless situation. Comfort should be the primary focus.
There’s 7 stages of dementia and if you survive long enough to get to the last stage you’re basically just a body that can’t support itself. You don’t eat, converse, ambulate and basically just waste away. You can die from a bunch of things like choking, falling, bedsores that get infected, malnutrition along that process. There is NO benefit to placing a feeding tube (PEG/NG) during this process and unfortunately just prolongs the process. Too many families decide to go down this route and it just causes unnecessary additional problems to an already hopeless situation. Comfort should be the primary focus.
My mom died after a decade with Alzheimer’s. First they had a feeding tube when she ‘forgot’ how to swallow. When she was completely unresponsive and for all practical purposes dead, they stopped the tube and she starved to death. Absolutely horrific.
My mom died after a decade with Alzheimer’s. First they had a feeding tube when she ‘forgot’ how to swallow. When she was completely unresponsive and for all practical purposes dead, they stopped the tube and she starved to death. Absolutely horrific.
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