Expert: Michalene Peticca - 11/7/2008

Question
My cousin has just been admitted to the hospital from a nursing facility because she was unresponsive, thready pulse and extremely thin.  Is this part of the end stages
of the disease?  They would like to put her into a Hospice
program as soon as they can.
Thank you for your time
Pam Mitchell

Answer
Hello Pam,

Thank you for writing.  I am very sorry about your cousin.

As you probably know, any form of Dementia is a progressive, deteriorating disease of the brain.  Since our brain is the "control panel" for the rest of our body, once the receptors and connectors fail to send messages to the rest of the body, functions begin to shut down.

Yes, it is quite common to experience what is happening to your cousin.  

There are continued options for nourishment; I am sure your family is discussing these with physicians to see if these are an option for her.

Hospice has been very beneficial for many individuals and i'm sure your family will make the right decision.

My condolences,

Michalene Peticca, MA