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What Is The Life Expectancy Of A Dementia Patient?
My wife has dementia--per her doc mostly vascular and some Alzheimer s. She has bad short term memory loss and some long term memory loss. She requires someone to bathe, dress and change her diaper (she is incontinent). She can walk a short distance with difficulty with a walker with someone holding her up. She also has chronic asthma, diabetes, hi blood pressure and cholesterol, and other physical ailments. She was diagnosed with MCI about 4 or 5 yrs ago What is her life expectancy?? Thank so
Fri, 31 Aug 2018
Hi,
Based on the history you have shared, her life expectancy depends upon extent of brain damage but in presence of other premorbids like diabetes and hypertension, it's even worst as person is at increased risk of blood vessels damage leading to microinfarcts and brain atrophy. But prognosis can vary between one year to five years.
Also greatly depending on nursing care as functional status of person and activity level decreases and patient gets exposed to opportunistic infections and good nursing care prolong patients life with controlling infection rate and keeping good nutritional status.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin
Based on the history you have shared, her life expectancy depends upon extent of brain damage but in presence of other premorbids like diabetes and hypertension, it's even worst as person is at increased risk of blood vessels damage leading to microinfarcts and brain atrophy. But prognosis can vary between one year to five years.
Also greatly depending on nursing care as functional status of person and activity level decreases and patient gets exposed to opportunistic infections and good nursing care prolong patients life with controlling infection rate and keeping good nutritional status.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin
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