Expert: Paula Damgaard - 2/2/2008

Question
My husband is in stage 7c of the Alzheimer disease.  He no longer has speech, does not know me as his spouse, only knows I am a familar person. Is incontinent, has to have total care.
He has had pneumonia twice during the last year and I am wondering if has pneumonia again how would we know if it should be treated by antibotic? Would he be in the stage to just let nature take over?


Answer
Sally, I have read I have read all of your questions and am going to answer all of them in this link and then say I don't want to answer the other ones, so don't worry if you get a message saying I won't answer you!  

Treating with antibiotics in my opinion and I stress my opinion are rescue medicines.  All you are doing is making him better so that he can live longer.  You are giving him quantity of life not quality.  I am all about quality.  You have the right to say no. Used to be pneumonia was considered "the old people's friend" cause they would get it and there wasn't any antibiotics to cure it so they died peacefully.  Now with all the high powered antibiotics we are keeping people alive longer which isn't necessarily a good thing.  

You should already have Hospice involved.  I am not sure where you live, but here in Virginia we can use Hospice relatively early.  They have a program called Transitions.  They know that AD is not curable so they help the families early to adjust.  Call Hospice i your area and see what their requirements are.  

Yes I do think he is in the stage that you should let nature take over!  I think I have answered all your questions, but if not please feel free to write again!!  Take care and know that you are not alone in this journey!  Paula