Dementia is not always recognised as a terminal illness or the actual cause of death, often because there may also be other health problems, such as cancer or heart disease, which may be the main health concern. Dementia is, however, a terminal illness.
Community & Health Professionals
This is a terminal condition as currently there is no cure.
Dementia is ultimately a terminal condition. Alzheimer's disease, the most common dementia etiology, is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and is one of the few leading causes of death where the age-adjusted death rate is increasing (Figure 1).
To qualify, an end-stage dementia patient's life expectancy must be six months or less, as determined by a physician.
What is 'palliative care'? Palliative care is for anyone diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, including dementia. It focuses on making a person's quality of life as good as possible by relieving discomfort or distress.
Palliative care specialists treat people living with many disease types and chronic illnesses. These include cancer, cardiac disease such as congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney failure, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and many more.
The average life expectancy figures for the most common types of dementia are as follows: Alzheimer's disease – around eight to 10 years. Life expectancy is less if the person is diagnosed in their 80s or 90s. A few people with Alzheimer's live for longer, sometimes for 15 or even 20 years.
Many people think of dementia as a memory problem, and therefore something that a person can live with indefinitely. In fact dementia is a degenerative disease that eventually stops brain function, just like heart failure or lung disease.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
Dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people globally.
Although family members are not directly responsible for what is written on an official death certificate, they can encourage their doctor to include dementia as a cause of death. This is an especially critical role if the doctor making the determination is not aware of the person's dementia diagnosis.
The median age of those who died from dementia in 2015 was 88.6 years, compared to 81.9 years for all deaths. Around 70 percent of all dementia deaths occurred in those 85 years of age and over and roughly another quarter occurred among people aged 75 to 84 (see graph, below).
One of the most common causes of death for people with dementia is pneumonia caused by an infection. A person in the later stages of dementia may have symptoms that suggest that they are close to death, but can sometimes live with these symptoms for many months.
An illness or condition is terminal when: it cannot be cured and. it is likely to lead to someone's death.
Brain scans are often used for diagnosing dementia once the simpler tests have ruled out other problems. Like memory tests, on their own brain scans cannot diagnose dementia, but are used as part of the wider assessment.
The 8 A's consist of: anosognosia, agnosia, aphasia, apraxia, altered perception, amnesia, apathy and attentional deficits. Loved ones with dementia may not always show or experience each A, because the signs of dementia appear different for every person.
The clock-drawing test is a quick way to screen for early dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. It involves drawing a clock on a piece of paper with numbers, clock hands, and a specific time. The inability to do so is a strong indication of mental decline.
It is quite common for a person with dementia, especially in the later stages, to spend a lot of their time sleeping – both during the day and night. This can sometimes be distressing for the person's family and friends, as they may worry that something is wrong.
In the earlier stages, memory loss and confusion may be mild. The person with dementia may be aware of — and frustrated by — the changes taking place, such as difficulty recalling recent events, making decisions or processing what was said by others.
It is recommended that a person with dementia be told of their diagnosis. However, a person has a right not to know their diagnosis if that is their clear and informed preference.
I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.
The symptoms often continue to get worse over time. This may happen slowly, or in sudden steps every few months or years. The symptoms depend on the part of the brain that's affected, but can include: significant slowness of thought.