Can anyone tell me how long a patient can stay in stage 7 before passing away? My family is taking care of my father who has a.d. and they told me he is in stage 7 but they thought there were 8 stages of a.d. Can someone resolve this confusing question.

I have only heard of 7 or 3 stages, never 8, but things change. However, there is no specific time range for any stage, they are only used as a general guide for docs & family to monitor the progression of AD. It is very individual--thus confusing to most of us--but a stage can last for months, years, no one knows. Signs of end stage could be refusal to eat. The body is shutting down. In my husband's case he continued to eat, but his automatic breathing stopped, but others keep on breathing with no problem. Nurses may be able to tell you a day or two before, but there's no specific time frame. Take care, give him lots of hugs and kisses, whisper in his ear, he should still be able to hear. Good luck.