I also note from the updates, it appeared to cause some minor
improvements, not anything too dramatic for the $55,000 plus that was
invested in the surgery by his family. He supposedly had early onset
and was in an assisted living facility and appears to have been about
Stage 6.

After the surgery, he improved but from her description, not
dramatically - he still needed complete supervision and support with
dressing and hygiene, his agitation decreased, his speech was still
garbled, he regained control of bowel temporarily, but not urine, he
still was disoriented and needed supervision, prompting etc. I suppose
from his wife's perspective any improvement would make it worth it
but.....to me it doesn't appear he improved to the point where you
could have described him as Stage 5. He was Stage 6 before, Stage 6
after.

The principal improvement seems to have been lessening of agitation,
but quite honestly, that could have been accomplished with
antipsychotics which don't seem to have been tried.

Just my 2 cents.

Mary G.

ncbill@my-deja.com is alleged to have said:

There are some nice links for caregivers there, too:

http://www.geocities.com/caregiving4alz/save_the_caregiver.htm

This includes some hints for people who are not caregivers themselves,
but know someone who is.  Under "Give Time" she says:

Offer to stay with the patient while the caregiver rests, takes a walk,
shops, visits the beauty parlor, goes to a movie.  Make a scheduled
time--maybe once a month for a few hours, or even once every other
month.  Don't say, "Call me if you need anything."  Chances are a
caregiver will not call unless it's a dire emergency.