The symptoms of late-stage Alzheimer's disease often include:
- Increased susceptibility to infections
- Difficulty walking and moving, eventually resulting in the person becoming chair-bound or bed-bound
- Loss of the ability to communicate through words
- Difficulty swallowing and eating
- Total incontinence of bowel and bladder, requiring full-time assistance with toileting and hygiene
- Eventual inability to sit up or hold up one's head
- Loss of facial expressions, including the ability to smile
Individuals with Alzheimer's disease often die of a medical complication, such as pneumonia or the flu. However, Alzheimer's itself can be fatal; even if there are no other complications, these late-stage symptoms can lead to death when patients can no longer be fed or breathe safely.
Sources:
Alzheimer's Association (2005). Late-stage care: Providing care and comfort during the late stage of Alzheimer's disease. Chicago, IL: Author.
Reisberg, B. (1988). Functional assessment staging (FAST). Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 24, 653-659.
Tonarelli, L. (2005, March/April). The stages of Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's Care Guide, 4-10.
