Alzheimer's?

Question

How does Alzheimers eventually lead to death, given that you have a caretaker to feed and clothe and clean you?

Answer 1

I work in a long term care facility. The Alzheimer patients, towards the end, stop eating. They aren't "there" anymore. Its not like someone whose had a stroke who perhaps cannot speak but they can still hear and understand you, someone in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's has no recognition of ANYONE or generally anything. They don't feel hunger therefor the food you put in their mouth has no purpose. They either let it sit there or they spit it out. They don't seem to remember what to do with it. The brain isn't working properly and eventually the victim of this tragic disease simply doesn't breath anymore. Its as if the brain doesn't tell the body how to function.

I've noticed that once a resident stops eating, there isn't much else that can be done. Care facilities no long force a person to consume nourishment unless the family of the resident demands it. But that is simply a stop gap solution, as the body will continue to fail.

Its very sad to watch, especially when the disease strikes someone who is relatively young.

Goddess Bless everyone who has the disease or has a loved one suffering from it!

Answer 2

This is what basically happens:
There's this stuff in the brain called beta-amyloid plaque. It coats the neurons so they can't communicate anymore. Eventually they die and become "tangles" and that causes more neurons to die and become tangles, and meanwhile the plaque is still coming relentlessly. One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's is an atrophied brain (as seen on an MRI). The plaques and tangles can only be see during autopsy.
The result of this is a loss of memory and brain function. It seems like AD patients go back in time. They lose the most recent stuff first. Eventually they can't eat on their own so someone has to feed them. They don't remember to chew or swallow the food so they can choke to death on it or aspirate it into their lungs causing fatal pneumonia. They forget how to dress themselves and become incontinent.
At the beginning those with AD know they are sick and that they can't remember and they live in constant frustration at forgetting things and not being able to speak properly or understand what's being said to them. Then it moves into fear as everything around them, people and places, become unfamiliar (they forget everything). To cover the fear, they get angry and combative.
It's an ugly horrible disease. My dad has it.

Answer 3

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), It is the most common cause of dementia. AD can be thought of as a slow deterioration of parts of the brain which control thought, memory, language, and motor skills. It is a progressive, irreversible disease that leaves its victims completely dependent and eventually leads to death.
Death is not usually caused from Alzheimer’s disease itself but from some other illness associated with the dementia. For instance, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may die of an infection like pneumonia.

Answer 4

There are different stages of Alzheimer's Disease....when the patient reach the severe stage...they get physically and mentally debilitated that it is impossible to give them enough nutrition and hydration, Families of AD patients will not opt for gastrostomy tube to keep the patient alive (but i've seen cases where family still request for it)...because at this point what they have is the body of the person they loved ....and knew.....and they don't want them to suffer more.... but some AD patients will just die of infection that their bodies can't fight any longer....
read more on the link below....

Answer 5

I think part of it has to do with the person losing their will to live. When Alzheimers gets to the point where the person is just a shell and the brain is so deteriorated that there is nothing there, there is no will to live. You have to keep in mind that the brain handles many body functions and regulates hormones.

Answer 6

eventually one would end up needing 24 hour care and would stop eating all together. it's a very hard job to care for someone with alzheimers. you will have tough decisions to make in the future and will need alot of moral support from your family and friends. good luck.

Answer 7

I once knew the answer to this, but forgot... You know, due to Alzheimers and stuff...

Answer 8

I have no idea