expected time span

willwen

Hi all,

What is the expected lifespan of a dementia patient who is at the stage when she needs help with basic living tasks such as feeding and going to toilet?

Thanks.

Babs920

I was looking for the same information.  My mom was diagnosed 4 years ago. She seems to be getting worse by the day. I feel so helpless.

lizziepooh

From what I have read, you can expect one to two years in each stage.

If you get to stage 7, then each sub stage of 7 could be up to a year or more. Sucks.

I suspect the end of stage 5 to beginning of stage 6 if your PWD (person with dementia) has trouble with toileting and/or feeding.

MN Chickadee

Many of us talk about the 7 stages. Here is a brief run down of what they are and the average duration. Every PWD follows a different journey,  and your loved one could definitely spend more or less time in any particular stage. If they are otherwise healthy and have no comorbidities then you might follow this trajectory. 

https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/aboutdementia/facts/stages/

Jo C.

Here is the direct link from Chickadee to reach the information you are asking about.  Scroll down the page to find the information about expected life span from each stage:

https://www.google.com/search?q=expected+life+span+at+each+dementia+stage&rlz=1C1ZCEB_enUS807US807&oq=expected+life+span+at+each+dementia+stage&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i299l2.10882j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Jo C.

Oh drats, it showed the link folding nicely when I placed it; but instead, it came out all spread across the page which hyper-extended the page.  I do not think I can get this fixed until a wweekday, but I will try.  I am sorry this happened.  Sigh.

J.

Farm Gal

I really like this list of stages and behaviors.  Gives so much more detail.  

https://tamcummings.com/stages-of-dementia/

MarLee92

I agree about tamcummings.com

That was recommended to me and I found it very helpful.  It is so scary though, not knowing how long a LO could be or not be at each stage.

willwen

Thanks for your answers. Regarding the 7 stages classification, there seems to be some conflicting information, particularly regarding the duration of stage 7. Some says it lasts up to 2.5 years, but here (https://www.alzinfo.org/understand-alzheimers/clinical-stages-of-alzheimers/) it mentions stage 7 comprises of a few substages and could last as long as 7 years. That is scary...

What I'm really trying to establish is, how long the stage where the PWD needs stay in memory care will last, which for my case is  probably stage 7. I figure I can probably care for my LO up to stage 6. Because where I'm from, placing the PWD in memory care or hiring a full time caregiver would both be financially draining, so I need to plan ahead.

aod326

I found one of the hardest things was not knowing how long DH had. I read Tam Cummings book over and over. While it was interesting and gave me lots of insight, it still didn't answer "how long for DH?". There's a wide range, depending on (in part), age, type of dementia, and overall health. DH had EOAD (we didn't know until after brain autopsy). Three years ago he seemed "normal" to most people - I noticed things though. Two years ago he would be ready to leave the house, but not have on pants. Or would be wearing four sweaters and a pair of shorts. He started to get aggressive. August 2020 he moved into MC, walking, talking (nonsensically, but all the time), occasionally incontinent, but still wearing regular underwear. By Jan 2021 he was on hospice, fully bed-ridden, almost 100% non-verbal and died in April 2021, aged 60.

I had the same frustration when it came to signs of end of life - "but how long? Are we talking months/weeks/days?" I devoured that part of the book and everything I could lay my hands on. I think we try to feel in control, but we have no control in the progression of the disease.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...