how do you die from dementia

Death from dementia typically occurs due to the progressive damage the disease causes to the brain, which eventually impacts basic bodily functions like breathing, heart rate, and swallowing. Dementia itself leads to the loss of brain cells, affecting memory, communication, and bodily control. In the final stages, the brain damage reaches areas controlling vital functions, leading to system failures that result in death. The most common cause of death in people with dementia is pneumonia, especially aspiration pneumonia. This happens because as dementia progresses, swallowing becomes difficult, increasing the risk of inhaling food or fluids into the lungs, which can cause infections that the weakened immune system struggles to fight off. Other related causes include infections such as urinary tract infections, complications from falls, malnutrition, dehydration, and other health conditions like heart disease or stroke. Sometimes people with advanced dementia may stop eating and drinking, leading to a natural, peaceful death from dehydration and starvation. Overall, death from dementia is often due to complications that arise from the brain's inability to manage basic functions and the body's increasing vulnerability to infections and other illnesses.