Dementia and the Final Stage: 10 Indicators That Death Is Near

It is a period of sensitivity, heartache, and wishing that you could do everything you can to ensure your loved one is at his/her best. When families are searching about 10 signs death is near dementia, it is usually because it is a place of fear, uncertainty and a desire to have some clarity. Knowing what occurs during these final moments does not make the pain entirely less painful, but it may provide guidance, tranquility and a feeling of readiness.

Our article, 10 Signs that someone is nearing death in late-stage dementia, is a compassionate walkthrough of 10 signs that a person is in their end-stage dementia.

1. Becoming Fully Bedbound

By the time a dementia patient enters its end-stage the patient will generally be unable to walk or sit up independently. Their muscles get weak, balance is lost and movement is unsafe. Being bedbound is not merely a mobility problem, this is one of the most significant signs that the body is slackening down and using the remaining energy on the necessary processes only.

2. Little or no Mobility and Stiffness

Dementia leads to a lot of rigidity in many patients, especially towards the end of their lives. The limbs can stiffen and two people may need to reposition them. This stiffness occurs due to the result of the nervous system losing sufficient signaling ability to provide normal muscular control. Family members will tend to observe that the individual takes much more sleep and does much less movement.

3. Skin Shear and Pressure Ulcers

Bedbound is also a risk factor of developing pressure ulcers especially on heels, hips and tailbone. The skin becomes delicate, thin and fails to heal well. Wounds can develop and deteriorate despite the most effective care. It is also one of the most obvious physical signs that the body is becoming unable to regenerate and defend itself.

4. Significant Weight Loss

In the last dementia stage, the body gradually starts to shut down. Food tastes disappear, it is hard to chew, and it is dangerous to swallow. Therefore, weight loss is quick and observable. There is a possibility of a thinner face, more pronounced collarbones, and loose clothes. It is not starvation, but a natural condition of the dying.

5. Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)

Issues of swallowing occur often in the end of life. The individual might choke or cough when taking food, keep food in the mouth or may not take any food at all. Nutrition may be a concern to the families, yet coercing is more damaging. Hospice teams generally change the objective of eating to sustain an organism to eating to comfort.

6. Repeated Infections

With the weakening of the immune system, more often are infections like pneumonia, UTIs, or skin infections. These infections come back soon after treatment. Once antibiotics cease to work, or they become dangerous to the body, the body is usually too weak to bounce back.

7. Alterations in Breathing Patterning

The days or hours leading to death cause breathing to become irregular. Some common changes include:

• Long pauses between breaths
• Shallow breathing
• Another type of pattern is called CheyneStokes (long pauses between the fast breathing)

This may be upsetting to watch, but it is not something that normally makes the individual uncomfortable. The body is self-adaptive, and it works towards the final stage.

8. Rising Perplexity or Delirium

Even long-time sufferers of dementia can undergo an abrupt change in perception towards the end. The person might:

• Seem restless or agitated
• Talk to nonexistent people
• Become unusually quiet
• Enter and leave a state of consciousness

This delirium is encompassed by the end of the transition of the brain and in many cases is among the 10 signs death is near dementia that is identified by the families.

9. Withdrawal From Loved Ones

The approach to the end stage is emotional withdrawal. The person you love can cease to reply to communication, close his eyes more frequently, or seem distant. It is not a personal affair but a self-turned-in body. According to many families, it is a gradual process of letting go by their loved one.

10. Alterations in Skin Colour and Temperature

With the decrease in circulation, the skin might start to:

Cold, most particularly in hands and feet

Turn pale, gray, or bluish

Form mottles, more particularly on legs

These transformations do not hurt, it is just the process of the body depriving itself of keeping the temperature and blood circulation.

What Families May Do at the Last Stage

In such final days or weeks, the emphasis is on comfort. Families are likely to find purpose in:

• Playing soft music
• Holding hands
• Using gentle touch
• Keeping the room calm
• Speaking reassuring words
• Eating and talking without pressure

The biggest gift one can receive during this period is the availability of loved ones.

Learning to See These Signs with Compassion

The need to be ready is the reason behind searches such as 10 signs death is near dementia. Although each person has a different end of life experience, these signs tend to guide the caregivers on when their loved one is nearing the end. A clear understanding of what is to come can reduce the fear and also allow the families time to utter what must be uttered—it could be thank you, I am here, I love you.

Still, the last phase of dementia may become a tender period of establishing touch, closeness, and harmony even in the hardest times.