End-Stage Care of Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease is a devastating neurodegerative disorder that irreversibly affects our cognitive functions, especially memory. This review will give an overview of clinical issues associated with the end-of-life care of AD. By the time end-stage AD is present, the ability to communicate their pain and discomfort with caregivers as well as having significant ability to perform ADL have significantly decreased. These changes are frequently accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms that further complicate the patient's EOL care. Delirium is additionally a common clinical challenge among the patients in this stage. When the patients start becoming indifferent towards eating, refusing food or experiencing impaired swallowing, their caregiver involvement plays a substantial role in decision-making. In the process of all these changes, caregivers often experience the burden of emotional, physical, and financial stressors. The authors address the importance of healthcare systems and clinicians making efforts to ameliorate the sufferings of the patients with end-stage AD and their caregivers.