How Long Can a Person Live With Alzheimer's?

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After a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, a person lives from three to 20 years. Many factors influence how long he will live. Knowing the life expectancy of someone with Alzhemer's is valuable information for helping him and his family. Quality of life is key

Age of Diagnosis
Life expectancy with Alzheimer's depends a lot on the age of the person when it is first diagnosed, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found. The older the person is at the time of diagnosis, the less time she will survive on average..

Gender
Seattle's Group Health Cooperative and University of Washington researchers have found that following a diagnosis of Alzheimer's, women tend to live longer than men, surviving about six years compared with mens' four years. But this difference between the sexes is less noteworthy as people age.
Severity of Symptoms
Other diseases and conditions shorten the life of a person with Alzheimer's. Poor survival is noted in those who have diabetes or congestive heart failure. Another health problem that lowers life expectancy is trouble walking and a history of falls.

Drs. Kenneth Covinsky and Kristine Yaffe of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco, say that someone who receives a diagnosis of Alzheimer's through specialized memory tests will likely have a longer life because these tests pick up changes in memory long before noticeable symptoms appear.

Catastophic Event
Many with Alzheimer's are able to function because they have a routine and know what to expect every day. When something happens to seriously change this, the result can be devatating to the Alzheimer's sufferer. An example: Someone falls and breaks a hip, arm or other bone requiring surgery or rehabilitation.

Surgery of any kind is difficult for a number of reasons.The person with Alzheimer's is in a strange environment, which can cause panic and uncertainty. Anesthesia is difficult because it takes Alzheimer's patients longer to recover from its effects. Sometimes they do not recover at all.

Rehabilitation is difficult too, because people with Alzheimer's have trouble learning new things. If they suddenly cannot get up alone or have to use a walker, they may forget and further injure themselves. They may become combative because they do not understand what is going on. Often they do not remember the initial fall no matter how often you remind them of it.

Quality of Life
It is not only how long people with Alzheimer's live, but how comfortable and happy they are in daily life. Here are some questions to ask about people with Alzheimer's. Do they.......read all of How Long Can a Person Live With Alzheimer's?

Sleep Problems & Alzheimer's Type Dementia

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Inability to get a good night sleep and resulting daytime drowsiness is displayed in many older adults, especially those with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Sleep problems contribute to physical deterioration and mood problems. Caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease have difficulty getting a good night's rest because of the patient's wandering, getting out of bed repeatedly and talking in bed.
A program of stimulating daytime activity for those with Alzheimer's disease and education for their caregivers may be helpful in controlling sleep problems. Prescribing sleep medicines is an option, too.

Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease, a brain disorder, is the most common form of dementia. Dementia, a general term for memory loss, difficulty learning and behavior changes, seriously interferes with daily life including problems sleeping. Many people with Alzheimer's disease exhibit changes in their patterns of sleep. Scientists do not completely understand why this occurs.

Normal Aging Sleep Changes
As we age our sleep changes. Sleep quality, quantity and type of sleep change. Older people have more trouble falling asleep and sleep for a shorter period of time. The time you are in deep sleep decreases, as well, as you age.
Sleep changes in Alzheimer's disease
Many people with Alzheimer's disease wake up more often and stay awake longer during the night. Brain wave studies display decreases in both dreaming and non-dreaming stages of sleep. Those who cannot sleep may wander, be unable to lie still or call out, which disrupts the sleep of their caregivers.
Daytime napping is common because of Alzheimer's medications. Because of napping during the day, night time sleep diminishes. Persons with Alzheimer's disease often become restless or agitated in the late afternoon or early evening. This is called "sundowning." As Alzheimer's disease progresses, these individuals spend more time in bed sleeping during the day and less time sleeping at night

Treatment Without Medication
There are some simple lifestyle changes that can help a person with Alzheimer's sleep better at night, according to a study called Nighttime Insomnia Treatment and Education for Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized, Controlled Trial, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May, 2005. Learning about good sleep habits, the benefits of moderate exercise and spending time in the sun helped those with Alzheimer's disease, this study reports.
Caregivers should encourage loved ones with Alzheimer's disease to go to bed at the same time every night. By observing a person with dementia, a good bedtime is discovered.
Finding triggers that awaken patients at night are identified. These problems include snoring by a bed partner, playful pets, or traffic noise, just to name a few. After learning what the triggers are, steps to eliminate these problems should be taken.
Eliminate daytime napping. Keep those with Alzheimer's disease mentally and physically active during the day. Adult day care programs help a great deal.
Remember to go outside with the person with Alzheimer's disease. Have him sit in a sunny room while watching television or other sitting activities. Some have suggested using a light box if there is not enough sun naturally
At night, make sure the room is dark. Keep heavy shades on the window to block early morning sunlight.

Treatment With Medication
In some cases, non-drug therapies do not work or the sleep changes are accompanied by difficult nighttime behaviors. Experts feel that.....read all about Sleep Problems & Alzheimer's Type Dementia

How Long Do Most Patients Live in the Severe Alzheimer's Wing?

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Many people with late-stage Alzheimer's disease live in the severe Alzheimer's wing of a long-term care facility. They live there from several weeks to several years, depending on the reasons for their decline to this stage of the disease. Maintaining dignity and comfort for them is key.

Severe Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease, a brain disorder, robs people of their memory, thinking skills and normal behavior. People with severe Alzheimer's disease lose the ability to respond to their surroundings. Often they don't recognize what is being said to them or how to say things to other people. They need help eating and using the bathroom. Eventually they cannot swallow and have no control of their bladder or bowels. Many lose the ability to walk by themselves. In time, sitting is difficult without support. Their reflexes become abnormal, and their muscles grow rigid.

Preventing Skin Breakdown
Because people with severe Alzheimer's disease often become bedridden or chair-bound, their lack of movement causes skin breakdown and rigid joints. Staff on the severe Alzheimer's wing relieve body pressure by changing their position every two hours and providing them with special cushions and pillows.

Eating and Drinking
People with severe Alzheimer's disease often develop trouble swallowing, which can lead to pneumonia and even death. Staff on a severe Alzheimer's wing have to be alert for this.

Hospice Care
A person with severe Alzheimer's disease requires 24-hour care. Many caregivers choose hospice. A hospice facility provides, care, comfort and support services for people with terminal illnesses and their families. People with severe Alzheimer's symptoms qualify for hospice benefits under Medicare if a doctor determines that they have less than six months to live. Contact a local hospice group for more information.

End of Life
Try to make sure.....read all of Live in the Severe Alzheimer's Wing

Footwear for Those with Dementia Disease

WiredPRNews.com

Companies are teaming up to create a shoe with a built in GPS tracking device.

Wired PR News – The development of a unique type of shoe is in the works, which will benefit those with dementia diseases and their families. As reported by AFP, technology company GTX Corp. and shoe manufacturer Aetrex Worldwide plan to collaborate on the creation of a shoe with a built-in GPS tracker to locate individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, who may need locating.

Project advisor Andrew Carle of George Mason University, is quoted in the report as stating, “The technology will provide the location of the individual wearing the shoes within 30 feet, anywhere on the planet…Sixty percent of individuals afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease will be involved in a ‘critical wandering incident’ at least once during the progression of the disease — many more than once.”

Testing for the product is expected to begin during the latter part of the year.

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia articles and activities