I asked the dr and she said probably late stage, whatever that means. Mom (fortunately) always recognizes me still, and her dog and asks about other family members (sometimes). I always thought late stage was the worse. Although mom asked me if this was a new dr office building she went to ( she’s been going there for 20 years), I’m not sure if mom recognized the dr or not. So some things mom is clearer on than others. Any idea how I would know what stage she is in, I know the dr said late stage, but does that sound right?
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And if you do choose Hospice and later do not think it was the right option you can elect to go off Hospice. Or if you do not like the Hospice you chose you can leave one for another just like any other medical service.
The above is a link to a chart discussing the stages of dementia & what each looks like, generally.
My mother is at the moderately advanced stage of dementia, I'd say. Normally with ALZHEIMER'S the patient forgets the family members faces and who they are; not with the other dementias. My mother knows who I am, but calls me her mother. She has trouble using the phone the tv remote, etc. She cannot walk, uses a wheelchair, but she can eat like a trucker. She drops her utensils all the time.
Dementia doesn't present itself in a straight, neat line; every day is different. Today my mother called me thinking she was calling her dead sister. Tomorrow she can be quite coherent. Today she thinks the Memory Care is a hotel; tomorrow she'll know exactly where she's at.
She can't hold onto a thought for more than a few seconds. She has trouble coming up with words, but that can also change on a dime. The holding onto a thought is consistent; she cannot remember what she called me for and can't remember to look at her Alz. clock to know what day it is.
Some days she's super angry, other days not so much. She always wants to 'go home' though, that's pretty consistent. She was diagnosed in 2016, so 5 years later, yes, she's moderately advanced, I'd say. Although what's the difference what label you put on it? Our mothers are where they should be, in Memory Care AL, being cared for properly, right?
Even though you can't see her inside of her room, you can certainly call and speak to the nurse about her medications, her behavior, and ask all the questions you would like. You have that right. Your best bet is to read up on the subject of dementia and learn all you can about it.
Best of luck!
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Memory care is wonderful, because they really focus on mental stimulation of the residents and don't leave them to just sit alone in their rooms on their own. I believe that stimulation and socialization is very helpful for their quality of life -- it certainly has been for my mother -- because they're RESIDENTS, not PATIENTS. Their humanity is the priority, not their ailments.
”Late” stage could be different for each person. Final stage would be when mom stops eating, drinking and begins what is called “actively dying”. You will notice changes in skin color, breathing.
If your mom is not on Hospice contact the Hospice of your choice and get the help, education, support, equipment, supplies that you can use to help caring for her easier.
you mentioned that mom is in MC facility, she may still qualify for Hospice the advantage for you and the family is you will have another set of eyes on her monitoring her for any changes
Every dementia patient is different, but you don't mention anger or aggressiveness.
A quick search said this about mid-stage:
"The middle stages of dementia are when anger and aggression are most likely to start occurring as symptoms, along with other worrying habits like wandering, hoarding, and compulsive behaviors that may be unusual for your loved one."
There are other conditions that mimic dementia.
I would take CWillie's advice. imo.
https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/aboutdementia/facts/stages/#scales