For additional information and resources for people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers, see Alzheimer's disease support groups.

How quickly AD gets worse is different for each person. If AD develops quickly, it is more likely to worsen quickly.

Patients with AD often die earlier than normal, although a patient may live anywhere from 3 - 20 years after diagnosis.

The final phase of the disease may last from a few months to several years. During that time, the patient becomes immobile and totally disabled.

Death usually occurs from an infection or a failure of other body systems.

• Loss of ability to function or care for self
• Bedsores, muscle contractures (loss of ability to move joints because of loss of muscle function), infection (particularly urinary tract infections and pneumonia), and other complications related to immobility during end stages of AD
• Falls and broken bones
• Loss of ability to interact
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Failure of body systems
• Harmful or violent behavior toward self or others
• Abuse by an over-stressed caregiver

Call your health care provider if someone close to you experiences symptoms of senile dementia/Alzheimer's type.

Call your health care provider if a person with this disorder experiences a sudden change in mental status. (A rapid change may indicate other illness.)

Discuss the situation with your health care provider if you are caring for a person with this disorder and the condition deteriorates to the point where you can no longer care for the person in your home.

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Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

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Review Date: 10/04/2010
Reviewed By: Daniel Kantor, MD, Medical Director of Neurologique, Ponte Vedra, FL and President of the Florida Society of Neurology (FSN). Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)