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Diagnosed With Dementia, Memory Difficulties And Personality Change. Life Expectancy?
My husband has recently been diagnosed with dementia and is in an assisted living facility (discharged from hospital one week ago to the facility.) I believe he is in the middle stages, memory difficulties, some disinhibition, okay with ADL s, definite personality change. He is 75 years old. How can I estimate life expectancy? I am absorbing emotional realities, but also must plan financially.
Wed, 2 Jan 2013
Hello.
I feel sorry for your husband for having suffered from a illness which has not yet been defeated by the medical sciences. I understand that he is quite old (75 yrs)and also had to be hospitalized for his dementia and is living in an assisted living facility. He will most probably live for around 8-10 years but then he is a human and these things cannot be exactly predicted. The course of illness will also differ depending on whether he takes proper medications or not. As the days progress , he will require more of help and support. Meanwhile, you have to take care of yourself too and should seek psychological help cause taking care of a person of dementia is very very taxing.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
I feel sorry for your husband for having suffered from a illness which has not yet been defeated by the medical sciences. I understand that he is quite old (75 yrs)and also had to be hospitalized for his dementia and is living in an assisted living facility. He will most probably live for around 8-10 years but then he is a human and these things cannot be exactly predicted. The course of illness will also differ depending on whether he takes proper medications or not. As the days progress , he will require more of help and support. Meanwhile, you have to take care of yourself too and should seek psychological help cause taking care of a person of dementia is very very taxing.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
I find this answer helpful
Hello.........
Thanks for your query. I can understand your concern as a wife. Dementia is a disease that cannot be cured as of today. Use of behavioural interventions, use of memory-aids, some cognitive exercises and periodic re-orientation to time/place/person if required are generally advised by us. It is not possible to calculate life expectancy as such since it is the secondary complications that develop like infections that prove fatal. It will become increasingly difficult to manage him and you will have to be prepared for the same. Hope youn found the information useful
Regards
Dr Sundar Gnanavel
Psychiatrist
Thanks for your query. I can understand your concern as a wife. Dementia is a disease that cannot be cured as of today. Use of behavioural interventions, use of memory-aids, some cognitive exercises and periodic re-orientation to time/place/person if required are generally advised by us. It is not possible to calculate life expectancy as such since it is the secondary complications that develop like infections that prove fatal. It will become increasingly difficult to manage him and you will have to be prepared for the same. Hope youn found the information useful
Regards
Dr Sundar Gnanavel
Psychiatrist
I find this answer helpful
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