Rapid End Stage Progression

Laura123456

In 2021, my father has gone from still being able to walk and have conversations in January and living at home to now he is going into a reclined wheelchair in MC facility and has lost almost 80 lbs. During that span of time, he has been in a couple of different facilities -- kicked out of one for aggression. 

He went from unsteady on his feet in April to not being able to hold himself up. Each step in this stage of decline has gone really fast. I am trying to understand how long we could possibly be in this stage -- mentally we felt the minute he went into wheelchair this was the beginning of the end. My mother estimates he has had Alzheimers for about nine years now. And I just want to understand how long being in the reclining wheelchair -- which I guess is pretty much being bed-ridden?

terei

If you do not have hospice on board, I would get them in for an assessment.  They will be able to help you and ‘guesstimate’ what his progression could be.

PickledCondiment

Please have a conversation, assessment with PCP to get the medical perspective.  There may be an undiagnosed medical issue.  Hospice can provide valuable insight as well.

aod326

Hi Laura, this must be a very worrying time. With the caveat that every PWD is different, and another caveat that my DH had fast-moving EOAD...

Two days before (planned) placement into MC, August 2020, DH wandered from home, for 5 miles. The week before he'd been on a 3-mile run.  He started using a wheelchair in October and, by the end of November needed a reclining wheelchair. But he could still shuffle, and occasionally walk from one side of the room to another. I brought him home at the end of January 2021 and he was still able to "stand and pivot" from bed to chair. By the beginning of March he could no longer sit up without multiple pillows each side, so couldn't get out of bed, then he died, age 60, in April.

But, as per caveat number 1, every PWD is different.

Sending oodles of supportive thoughts for you and your mother dealing with this very hard time.