hello to everyone.my mom has had alzheimers disesa for about 4 yrs.she has had a caregiver with her 24/7 for the last 18months.January 2008 her physician recommended hospice,it took me about 4 weeks to decide that yes i did need some help.hospice has been with us since march 1st.several weeks ago my mom became weak,more confused,losing weight quickly,refusing food or liguids,and having very little output.this went on for three weeks.her friends and family were called along with the priest approx 1 week after friends and family visited she started to talk,eating and drinking quite a bit and her output is great!has anyone ever heard of anything like that.i certainly do not want my mom to die,although the mom i knew and loved is gone.how does the body bounce back like that.she is 82 with a multitude of medical issues.any comments i would appreciate

Dear lisa2502,

Alzheimer's disease is very individual in nature. It is also difficult to predict on when the disease would progress and when the person would do better. However, changes in environment do effect the progression of the disease. For example, negative changes, such as, moving, hospitalization, may lead to progression of the disease. This means that positive changes may help the person to do better.

Some of the symptoms of late-stage Alzheimer’s can include: (1) inability to speak or recognize loved ones (2) weight loss (3) difficulty swallowing (4) loss of bowel and bladder control (5) inability to walk. If your mom had any of these symptoms, chances are, she is in the end stages. It is also possible for a person with disease to loose the will to live towards the end stages. If this is what occurred with your mom, she may have bounced back because of the extra care (positive changes - visits from family and friends) she received.

I hope this helps. I am assuming that you are continuing to consult with mom's doctor as changes occur. Feel free to call our 24-hour helpline if you have any other questions.

Thank you for using the Alzheimer's Association Online Community.

Sincerely,

Mini V.

We experienced a similar jump in dad's condition once moved into a AD facility. He then began going downhill again about 3 months later. We then had to move him from the AD facility to a NH. He again had a bounce better but only for 2 days. That was Jan. 13. He passed away on March 2 from AD after deteriorating to complete rigidity. We got hospice involved in March 07 until he passed away. In March of 07, I didn't think he would make it through the month. I guess he wasn't ready yet. Hospice was absolutely wonderful. My thoughts are with you. Mary