Is it possible to recover from the last stage of Alzheimer's disease?
Urinary tract infections are very common in the elderly, particularly in women. As caregivers it can be hard for us to detect the problem. A person with dementia/Alzheimer’s may lose the ability to express their pain or physical discomfort other than through a change in behavior. Your mom’s demeanor of curling up in a ball and being unresponsive were indicators of her physical distress. It must have been a very serious infection to have required two weeks in the hospital. The diagnosis of hypo-delirium sounds reasonable. Physical and emotional trauma can cause delirium, but it usually wanes after a while. Delirium is an acute and usually temporary dementia. I would not be so ready to call this the last stage of the disease; she may bounce back, but be prepared for a decline in her cognition. I would suggest that you don’t give up but work on helping her back.
If she has problems with eating, try very small portions or health shakes. Surround her with her favorite music, sing with her and tell her stories about favorite moments as a family. One tip: use red plates or bowls for her food. Red stimulates the appetite.
There’s no harm in bringing in hospice. Ask for suggestions from the hospice nurse on how to help her stay mobile. Two weeks flat on her back has probably caused pretty serious atrophy in her muscles and she will need gentle exercises to build up her strength.
She had sepsis resulting from a urinary tract. It took them 10 days to hydrate her and get her sodium level down to normal. She has not recovered after 2 months from the delirium.
She may still improve. The older we are, the longer it takes our bodies to recuperate from trauma. In the meantime, I stand by my advice on exercise, nourishment and keeping her spirit up - and the color red.
Thank you Ms. Lokvig!
