Last Stage of Dementia

Dementia is the umbrella term under which fall a number of diseases that affect the patient's mind. You may notice that common symptoms include a gradual loss of short term and long term memories, a decline in the use of language and ability to understand others, and also a worsening impairment of problem solving abilities. Generally speaking, dementia is an adult onset condition that is associated with seniors, although it is possible for younger adults to also fall victim to dementia. It is noteworthy that dementia is a debilitating disease that requires full time care, especially during the last stage.

Types

Dementia is associated with a variety of conditions and illnesses. As such, dementia is frequently a symptom and not a disease itself. This is true for dementia that may be caused by Huntington's, Parkinson's, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, syphilis and also the dementia that sometimes occurs in patients with kidney failure. You may be more familiar with the type of dementia that is actually the main syndrome, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Identification

Physicians generally use the FAST scale developed by Barry Reisberg, MD as a litmus test for recognizing the last stage of dementia. On the scale it is denoted as a number seven, and it lists the gradual progression of Alzheimer's disease, but it also applies to other forms of dementia. It is noteworthy that this scale merely focuses on a functional assessment and does not discuss ancillary physical symptoms.

Features

According to the FAST scale, you recognize the last stage of dementia by the virtually complete decline of the patient's cognitive functions. Moreover, walking is no longer possible; neither is the ability to sit up, use the restroom, or even hold up the head. During the last stage of dementia, you notice that the patient is no longer able to smile, communicate verbally or let you know about his needs in any way other than with grunts.

Effects

Caring for a patient with last stage dementia is comparable to caring for an infant. As a caregiver, you must nurture the patient with love, compassion and understanding. Sadly, you cannot expect any recognition in return. Although an adult, the patient is completely reliant on you for survival and a little bit of human contact he most likely does not know he needs. This makes it hard on caregivers, especially if an adult child is taking care of an aging parent and is not able to deal with the complete role reversal.

Warning

The inevitable fact that the last stage of dementia precedes death by about six months is a hard reality for family members, especially the caregivers who are closely involved with the patient. If you find that you are getting frustrated with your loved one as the body deteriorates, or if you realize that you are falling victim to depression, it is crucial that you find help for yourself. Caregiver support is a vital need at this last stage of dementia, and you may find it by asking your physician, the patient's doctor, the local hospital or through networking in your community with municipal recreation facilities. Oftentimes they host caregiver support groups and the facility management will inform you when the meetings are scheduled.

Prevention/Solution

In some cases, it is a good idea to place a patient with the last stage of dementia into a care facility that is specifically set up to care for sufferers of the disease. You may have promised yourself that you would never institutionalize your loved one, but if you realize that your health and also mental well being are so severely compromised that you fail to function in your own life, this may be the only means of securing continuous high quality care for the patient. If this occurs, the patient's physician has referral information for local care centers that may be contacted for an interview.

Resources

• HelpGuide.org discusses caregiver needs of those taking care of patients with last stage dementia.