After this stage, the tangles and plagues continue their journey upwards, eventually reaching the top of the brain and disrupting the mental processes there. This is the part of the brain, which sorts through the various stimuli that a person comes into contact with throughout their day and, from that, then orchestrates all behavior. By the time the tangles and plagues have reached this part of the brain it is quite common that the patient has been admitted into a nursing home. Alzheimer’s patients in the advanced stages of the disease commonly suffer long periods of almost vegetative states, where they have no recollection of their surroundings or caregivers. Family members commonly appear as strangers and their surroundings are perceived as threatening. Usually they have forgotten simple routine tasks such as brushing their hair or using the bathroom and, as they worsen, will commonly forget how to eat, drink or even swallow.

The life expectancy of a person with Alzheimer’s disease is commonly thought to be between 5 and 10 years, with an average of about 8. Some patients, however, have been known to survive as long as 20 years before the disease took them. It is also true that Alzheimer’s disease can affect different people in different ways. Sadly, there is no cure for Alzheimer‘s, nor is there any form of preventative medicine that one can take that will protect against this serious disease. No medicine can even slow the effects of this form of dementia, though there is discussion and research, suggesting that staying fit, keeping the mind active and eating a healthy diet may be able to lower the risk factors for developing the disease.

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