Most Dementia Patients 'Return' Before Death And It's Unclear Why

[Random Boomer]

9. Dead-Cat Bounce

I've never seen this rally linked specifically to dementia patients; it's been observed in terminal patients in general. A brief spurt of energy and lucidity can fool family into thinking their loved one is recovering (despite medical staff telling them differently); the ensuing death catches them by surprise (and may lead to them blaming the medical staff).

My own mother experienced this bounce. Over the course of months she had been increasingly confused by a series of mini-strokes, then one afternoon she was perfectly composed, lucid, even cheerful. We chatted about her finishing her memoirs (at this point she couldn't read or write) and made plans to go on an outing. A few days later she crashed -- weak, cold to the touch as her circulation shut down -- and she slipped into coma while at the ER. She died a few hours later.