... Exactly what you are seeing will happen. They will lose their abilities one by one. They will lost the ability to process what you are saying to her. It is not her hearing but her brains ability to understand what the ear is hearing. They will lost their ability to communicate. ... (11 replies)

... sease, and it has been a long and very hard road. We walked through each step of progression together, but by far the most agonizing was the loss of his ability to swallow. He almost choked to death several times and finally we had to suction out food every time he ate or drank anything. ... (11 replies)

... then...we placed him on pureed foods, he done really well for almost a year until this past week or so as he has forgotten how to swallow at all and even pudding seems to be hard for him. ... (11 replies)

... Cyn...you're correct in knowing this is another sad part of Alzheimer's. We have to remind Mom to swallow also...the body's natural response of swallowing is just gone. I remember taking Mom to the Dr. ... (11 replies)

... My FIL has been doing something strange for the past several weeks and I am wondering if it has something to do with the swallow reflex. Although, the nursing home staff report that he eats well, he seems to hold food in his mouth for several minutes. ... (11 replies)

... I'd like to hear from others that have loved ones with AD and fears of aspiration pneumonia. Fears meaning...I don't have a clue what to expect... how long? ... (11 replies)

... He has AD and has declined, recently diag. with "aspiration, unable to swallow"... ... (4 replies)

... Martha, many of your words and experiences have helped me immeasurably over the last year so I am glad I can say something now to help you. ... (11 replies)

... ear Marsha, thank you for sharing this important experience. My family and I are on the threshhold of making that decision ... your experience reinforces my wish to just stop feeding and let it happen ... I know it must have been miserably hard. ... (11 replies)

... A caregiver tried to explain this to me in her words, but I just didnt get it until I read it, the way you have it posted....its easy to fully understand. Thank you so much for posting this! ... (11 replies)

... When the body has had enough, we need to listen to it and stop acting on its behalf. ... (11 replies)

... tive word. We are eating the same meat and you can cut it with a fork. I can't figure this out. He has no problem with salad, potatoes or vegetables but seems to prefer softer food. Is this the beginning of another problem? ... (11 replies)

... I am sorry to hear of your father's condition. ... (11 replies)

... Dorri, I just went through this with my Mom. The hospitalization your Mom went through is confusing to her. You took her out of her normal routine and familiar territory to a place that is confusing to even us. ... (15 replies)

... s of water, thickened liquids, or Ensure then they will use that. They do use the swabs. Comfort care includes all of this. I remember my sister using a straw to put droplets of thickened liquids into Dad's mouth. ... (70 replies)

... Dear Nina, If it's any consolation, I do know that at the end hospice does do things like hand feeding and sips of water. If the person is unable to swallow they swab the mouth with a small sponge on a stick (I think it is called a "toothette" or something like that) to keep the patient from getting too dry. It's so hard to be the daughter-in-law in all of this--you... (70 replies)

... s. When we go in to visit him he gets so agitated and his blood pressure goes up. He wants us to remove his restraints and take him home. It is just horrible. ... (8 replies)

... Thank you for this opportunity for group support. My father is 94 years old and has had dementia for 5 years. I considered his dementia to be very manageable in that he knows who we all are and where he is. At night he gets sundowning and his only physical problem is incontinence. ... (18 replies)

... Going back to the facility and searching out what is really going on is the best thing to do first. Sometimes the person you come in contact with on the floor has had a bad day, or is just in a bad mood and everything is negative. ... (25 replies)

... Her hemotologist said Hospice would give her morphine because the shortness of breath would be so uncomfortable...the inability to catch her breath. ... (23 replies)