My mum who is 95, has been in a care home for the last three years and an alzheimers victim for the last six or seven years, possibly longer. Sadly she no longer knows any of the family, even when we tell her who we are, they are just words, no longer have any meaning to her. Occasionally a spark of memory comes back, it last just seconds.
Her speech is very very laboured, repetitive rubbish about nothing, sometimes the repeating goes on for about half hour, without pause, then she is struggling for breath, waxen colour, very distressing to see. Give her a sweet etc, she is unsure what you do with it. Double incontinent, blind, deaf, teeth no longer exist and what's left are black, can't get out of a chair without help, put in a wheelchair most of the time, they make her shuffle/walk when they can. Eating is now a major challenge, takes that long she now starts before the others and stays till the staff have eaten, she is that slow and needs encouragement and obviously needs extended time to get something down. Sometimes won't eat at all. Has to be moved into own room every day after lunch as the ranting about nothing is loud without a break and distressing to other residents. Photos taken over the last three months show she is failing quite rapidly both physically and mentally.
Not sure how long this stage can last, and is this the last stage. We already have DNR in place, had a review so meds etc, and were advised by the doctor that although the alzheimers med obviously does not help any longer as she has been on it for numerous years, he believes to take her off would cause her more distress. Any advice?
Her speech is very very laboured, repetitive rubbish about nothing, sometimes the repeating goes on for about half hour, without pause, then she is struggling for breath, waxen colour, very distressing to see. Give her a sweet etc, she is unsure what you do with it. Double incontinent, blind, deaf, teeth no longer exist and what's left are black, can't get out of a chair without help, put in a wheelchair most of the time, they make her shuffle/walk when they can. Eating is now a major challenge, takes that long she now starts before the others and stays till the staff have eaten, she is that slow and needs encouragement and obviously needs extended time to get something down. Sometimes won't eat at all. Has to be moved into own room every day after lunch as the ranting about nothing is loud without a break and distressing to other residents. Photos taken over the last three months show she is failing quite rapidly both physically and mentally.
Not sure how long this stage can last, and is this the last stage. We already have DNR in place, had a review so meds etc, and were advised by the doctor that although the alzheimers med obviously does not help any longer as she has been on it for numerous years, he believes to take her off would cause her more distress. Any advice?
