How does a person die from dementia? | Can dementia kill?

Can dementia kill? Does a person die from dementia? Dementia doesn’t just make you forgetful. It’s a serious, progressive condition that is, eventually, terminal. A person in the late stage of dementia is at risk for many medical complications. Most people with late-stage dementia die from dementia-related complications. In this video, I describe the most common causes of death: Pneumonia and sepsis.

Timecodes
0:00 Introduction
0:17 Top 10 leading causes of death
0:45 What is dementia?
1:35 Cause of death: Pneumonia
2:24 Cause of death: Sepsis
3:16 Is dementia the actual cause of death?
3:39 Importance of recognizing dementia as a cause of death
4:11 Important note!
4:36 Take home message
4:46 The end

[dr.paulinemoyaert]

Thank you for watching my video. If you liked it, please consider giving it a thumbs up 👍. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help you ☺.

[silvana]

my dad died 18 months ago of dementia .. my sister is at end phase. of dementia .. not talking; not walking not wanting to eat although she did want water today. she has the " just in case" box now. she has alredy been in a care home for 3 years; thanks for the video

[elang]

The first symptom I noticed was my wife (struggling with dementia) hurriedly gorging her food....which ultimately led to aspiration... "down the wrong pipe"... months later in hospice her right lung was found to be contaminated by at least one particle of food...which was removed mechanically. It was all down hill from there. Ultimately she passed without pain and suffering.

[krisjustin]

Thank you so much for helping me understand the death of my favorite aunt! This made a lot of sense and helped me reach closure of this sad time in my life.

[JourneyWithJoanne]

I’m so glad you have made this video! I had heard that funding is usually given to the top causes of death so if Dementia isn’t recorded on a death certificate then vital future funding is missed ... when your loved-one passes, please ensure their dementia is recorded on their death certificate!

[ELIASyIBARRA]

Thanks for the effort to put this video together. More power to your channel.

[RaeGray-cwyv]

My husband died from Lewy Body Dementia. He had no other health problems. His deterioration was very rapid and died just under 2 years of being diagnosed with early onset. First scan showed moderate Alzhimers and vascular Dementia. 2 months later and the bomb dropped. All the symptoms of Lewy Body happened very rapidly. Hallucinations, , confusion, psychosis, paranoia, incontinence. He was amazing how he coped with all that was happening to him. I feel very blessed that I was able to care for him at home until he died. It was Lewy Body Dementia that was on his death certificate.

[marialock]

Thank you for sharing this information. Greetings from Australia.

[pamelaself]

I used to be a care-giver. No matter what the health issues of my various patients were, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson’s, cardiac care etc., dementia was
always a part of the daily problems and care difficulties. Also I never received any help from the health professionals re: care ideas or medications.
We were just supposed to‘deal with it’ I was struck with fists, urinated on had fecal matter rubbed on me, & spat on by patients that loved me. A particular tough night dealing with an elderly man who needed more pain medication than was being allowed

[automechs]

My mom passed away recently, the day before Christmas Eve 2023, from dementia/Alzheimer's. She'd had COVID 2 weeks prior but had recovered well. I guess I was lucky in that she died from stopping breathing and not underlying illnesses.

[ronidux]

Thank you for sharing. Just a suggestion, you might want to reconsider changing the intro and extro music of the video to a more subtle one.

[jessicaolson]

Don't forget dehydration and malnourishment. I only did long-term nursing home care for a few months but at least one of the residents deteriorated quickly when she became afraid to drink or eat her paranoia with triggered by the dementia. And the medications didn't help. Either they would sedate her to the point of her being obtunded or she just be in constant panic mode. 😢 Edit she also lost the ability to drink up a straw or take sips from the cup even when she would try.

[charlessmith]

In last-stage Alzheimer's, the plaques and tangles hit the pituitary gland, which controls breathing and your heart. It always gets progressive and gets worse, and your heart will fail---or your lungs will permanently collapse as the gland gets overpowered by this bad stuff, causing permanent breathing paralysis, and this is one example how you can die from Alzheimer's - which is a form of dementia.

[Rob-eoql]

My mom had Alzheimer’s/ Dementia. The cause of death on my mom’s death certificate was dehydration. But another thing about the pneumonia…. Once a month for a year and a half she suffered from a UTI. Sadly this is common in nursing homes. So every month she would be put on antibiotics. As a result & after awhile, especially with old, old people, your body stops producing its own antibodies so they usually die from pneumonia because your body can’t fight it and the antibiotics stop working. UTIs are preventable. It’s not abuse but it is neglect. But it’s not neglect because these nursing homes staffing is so poor. It’s the toughest job.

[TheKatehall]

Your video was very informative. That’s what my mum died of dementia but on the death certificate it was aspiration pneumonia. I didn’t know anything about that I’m adopted so I don’t love this is ready train my mumis line of the family or not, but I am at was very distressing last 3 -4 years of life

[pradgadagkar]

Well explained madam....I wished that you also told us regarding what leads to dementia. I hope for that in the future.

[Lisajen-hu]

My Mum died of Lewy Body Dementia. Horrible to watch, same as most other long term diseases though. She lost the ability to walk, then her speech, then eating went and it was just a matter of time after that. Thank God for Morphine which hopefully reduced her suffering at the end.

[wendyp]

Thank you for this helpful background.

[gregzeng]

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, 1984, myself. Australia. Male, heart valve replaced, so my wife (CARER) and myself are competing for widowhood. Who is getting dementia first!

Good to now know that my forthcoming PEG surgery might prevent pneumonia, UTI and its complications. By design, our Australian federal government, similar to the European governments, will show disabled and elderly people like myself, to not die in the public streets.

[DCGameplay-usa]

Bad News 😢 my dad of my brother is having a risk of stroke, He has Alzheimer's disease and he is now on second phase, The second phase that he has difficulty swallowing, respiratory weakness and bad immune system, Although he was having fever-like memory loss, I'll love him 😭😭😭😭😭