Dementia is one of the hardest diseases to walk alongside a loved one with. It is always a life-limiting condition, but when it begins, it is practically impossible to tell how quickly the symptoms will progress and in what ways your loved one’s life will slowly become less self-functioning. Dementia often exacerbates other health conditions as well, speeding up the end of a person’s life, reducing the time that loved ones have to spend with them before they are gone, necessitating the need for end of life care.
Final Stages of Dementia
At some point, just about every patient reaches the final stages of their disease. They will reach a point where care is needed 24 hours a day, whether it’s at home with loved ones and a good support staff, or whether it’s in a memory care facility where they can be safely cared for.
Some stages you’ll notice as your loved one reaches late-stage dementia can include:
- Becoming bedbound and unable to get up and around with ease. They may cease to want to walk around or even be placed in a wheelchair to visit different areas of the home.
- They may become less interested in food and often turn away from many of their favorite foods. Drinking may lessen as well.
- When they do eat, it might be difficult for them to remember how to chew and swallow their food, so food choices will need to change to adapt to their abilities.
- Communication lessens as they start to speak a lot less. They may only use one or two-word sentences, and you might find it difficult to understand what they are trying to communicate. Some non-sensical communication may occur as well.
- They’ll need help with almost all daily activities, including brushing their teeth, bathing, and getting dressed.
- They’ll be less interested in the world around them. They may not seem to notice or care when people visit. The television may be stared at blankly, and they might not react to the sounds around the home or outside the window.
- Bladder and bowel incontinence is common.
Signs of the Dying Process
When death is imminent and likely to occur within the next hours or days, some drastic changes occur fairly quickly.
- An inability to swallow and a refusal of all food.
- A complete withdrawal from all outside sensory stimulations.
- Agitation and restlessness. Tossing and turning or exhibiting physical discomfort.
- Breathing becomes irregular. It may rattle and wheeze.
- Extremities like the hands and feet may become cold.
- Loss of consciousness.
End of Life Care for Your Loved One
Knowing that the end is near can be a very emotional time for family members and caregivers who have been by their loved one’s side during the entire dementia journey. Emotions can run the gamut, and it can be hard to know what to do and when to do it. A professional end of life care provider can help you navigate this tough time more easily by providing the distinct care your loved one needs to be comfortable and retain their dignity.
End of-life care providers also have the resources you may not even know you’ll need. It can help you find support and help for each stage of your loved one’s final days, giving you the support you need, so you can focus on your loved one and say goodbye with grace and honor.
If you or an aging loved one is considering End of Life Care in Dallas, TX, please contact the caring staff at Arcy Healthcare today at (469) 293-1515
Providing In-Home Healthcare Services in North Texas, including Dallas, Hurst, Grapevine, Keller, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Denton, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Gainesville, and more.
My name is Jimmie Stapleton. I am the founder and CEO of Arcy Healthcare. Arcy Healthcare includes Arcy Hospice, Arcy Supportive Care, Arcy Home Health and Arcy at Home.
Arcy Hospice was opened in 2007 to provide care and support for individuals and families facing a life limiting illness. It was established after my wife Ellen, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, had completed her chemo and radiation therapies. At that time, things were looking positive, and we wanted to do something for our community that had been so supportive of our family during her treatments. Unfortunately, the cancer returned a few years later, and she subsequently passed away under our care in 2010.
In the years that followed, I began to see the need to provide the same level of excellent care to patients across the continuum of care. Therefore, we have added a home health division (Arcy Home Health), a palliative care division (Arcy Supportive Care), and two home care divisions, (Arcy at Home and Living Well Senior Care). With the addition of these divisions, we can meet most of the post-acute care needs for you and your family in your home.
I started Arcy Hospice with my wife as my inspiration to provide exceptional care and support in the patient’s home, where they are surrounded by family and where they feel most comfortable. I’m proud to say our dedicated staff provides some of the most respected in-home care in Dallas-Fort Worth, treating every patient like a member of our own family.
Please let us know if we can enrich the quality of life for you or a loved one.
Sincerely,
Jimmie Stapleton – Founder and CEO
Arcy Healthcare
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