Expert: Paula Damgaard - 9/2/2008

Question
Hello Paula:
My father is 86 and in the later stages of Alzheimers. He is currently chanting and keeps his head down almost all the time, and is pretty much relaint on a wheelchair.

What are the reasons why he can no longer keep his head up?
Do you know why he tends to hum or chant?
He is having difficulty swallowing, will this get even worse?

What are some the other things my family will begin to see as the disease progresses?

Thank you for your assistance.
Margaret

Answer
Dear Margaret, The reasons he is declining is that the brain controls everything we do, eat, sleep, walk, chew, heartbeat, muscle function, you name it.  This disease is marching through the brain destroying every part of it, so as it hits the areas that control say swallowing he will lose the ability to do that.  So as the disease progresses it takes people from "adulthood" to "infantilism".  So your family will see your dad as an infant if he lives to the end of this disease.  

Why does he chant?  Not really sure, except that some part of the speech area has not totally been destroyed and it is causing him to do this.  

The nicest thing you can do for your dad at this point is to hope that he gets a pneumonia and that your family agrees that you should not treat it.  Pneumonia used to be called the "old people's friend" because there weren't any high powered antibiotics like there are now and they would get the pneumonia and die peacefully and not have to go to the end stage of this disease. Now we are so focused on giving people quantity of life that we ignore the quality of life.  I don't think this is a good plan for AD patients.  No one would want to end this way.  If your dad could see himself now is this what he would want for himself?  

Hope this helps and I am sorry you are going through this.  Paula