My mum is at advanced stage of Alzheimer's/Vascular dementia. She's had this for 8 years now and has been in a nursing home for 3 years, she is 81. 2 weeks ago she was fitted with a pacemaker after a heart murmur was detected and she kept passing out with her heart stopping for several minutes. Since then she has declined severely to the point where she no longer recognises me.. she actually thought I was her dead mother who passed away 50 years ago. Over the past 2 weeks she has had minimal food and drink and refusing her meds. Prior to this operation she was also spitting out her meds and eating very little. The Dr has visited this morning and said that we cannot force her to eat or drink etc. So we've agreed that she is to not to be forced but only take food and drink and meds if she wishes. It's so sad and I feel very strange today but we know this is the right course. I don't want her to end up in hospital being kept alive by a tube and nor would she. She's also an insulin dependent diabetic. Does anybody know how long she will live for under these circumstances?