Very Advanced vascular dementia

[ike]

My wife has late stage v. dementia and Alzheimer's , i am fully aware that she is very ill ,
I had a visit from the Dementia team visit last week , they have now said her dementia is Very Advanced , but i didnt really get much of a chance to talk alone to the team to know what to expect and as we know its a life shortening illness so will this make her life even shorter .
Some things i have experienced is when watching TV my wife thinks shes actually involved with every program, i even had to stop her from trying to get into the tv, so now its easier for me to have the radio on as much as possible, also i have to stop her eating dog biscuits and the other day i got her some grapes and she was eating the stems that the grapes grow on , and as you will all know too well i could go on and on

 

[Grannie G]

Hello @ike It sounds like your wife needs watching every minute of the day which must put a heavy strain on you.

Do you get any help? It might be a help if you try to get some support so you can have a break.

Find support near you

Use our dementia directory to find local support services for people with dementia and their carers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

 

[ike]

Yes your right, and that means through the night also as she has a tendancy to fall backwards if she stands still for a short time and she always gets up at night , carers come in on a morning for 30 mins to make sure she takes her meds , then for 1 hour on a night time so i always walk our dog for a hour which helps me unwind , once a week they stay for 2 . 30 mins in the morning and i am now trying to get out for that time, problem is as you will know dementia can be at its worse in the mornings so i just cant get out because she will play up terrible [ a friend of ours owns a garage so im going to try to convince her i will be working for him in the hope that might work , their is opportunities for her to go to a day center but she refuses to go

 

[canary]

I had a visit from the Dementia team visit last week , they have now said her dementia is Very Advanced , but i didnt really get much of a chance to talk alone to the team to know what to expect and as we know its a life shortening illness so will this make her life even shorter .

Hello @ike

Your wife is obviously coming near to end of her life, but that does not mean that she will pass away within the next couple of months. People at this stage can live for a couple of years or more, but you just dont know how long it will last - it may in fact turn out to be just a couple of months after all.

During this stage you will find that her mobility will decline so that she will need walkers and frames. Eventually, standing aids and hoists will be required. The other thing you will probably notice is that the swallow will become weaker and she starts coughing and choking when eating. When that happens get the SALT team to come in and assess her - they can advise on the consistency of food she requires and can also advise on stuff to thicken her drinks. You will also find that she will sleep more and more and her appetite will start to decrease