[I am new to this board and have been a caregiver for the past 5 years. Right now I am trying to find out a little more about the last stages. MOm is in stage 7 and it is severe. She had not wanted to be in a nursing home so she lives with me. She has gotten to the point that she constantly goes in and out of a state of sleep and just being there. When she sleeps she sleeps with her mouth open so as to the point that her stomache is distended. As of lately I diligently right down every portion of food or liquid she takes. I do this so I can tell if she is getting enough to have a bowel or bladder movement, since she has severely decreased this in the past few days. I was wondering if anyone has gone thu this. The nurses tell me and I have read where AD is a cruel disease that eventually takes all. I understand the motor skills and the movement of arms and legs...but does it eventually just shut down on the organs or is this because she is just at the point that we are having to feed her baby food and pray we get to a 1000 calories plus liquid these days. The DR.s are not willing to talk about the final days as they say everyone is different. It pains me so to see her this way. Short of an IV I know that she will probably never be well and the IV was something she would not want as it would be equivalant to life support. I just wonder each day what else will happen that will start a new chapter. I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas. and tt sheFONT="Arial"][/FONT]