question: My dad has been diagnosed as having advanced stage dementia for the purposes of activating his health care power of attorney. From what I have read, he is not even close this stage. In July he was hospitalized for a Liver infection and recently for a UTI . Do the infections mean he is in the late stages of the disease. He can still chat with me, he makes relevant comments without prompting, he still feeds himself and when he is not too week he can walk with a walker. He can still beat his friends at cards and, I assure you, they are not letting him win. However, he is weakened after the recent infection and he is 81 years old. He has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. My question? Is he really in the late stage of the disease. I am going to ask his VA doctor the same question but am scheduling an appointment. The insurance company will not pay for his rehab and I believe they think we should give up on him now. His hospitalist agrees with me that he still has his personality and a lot of life left in him. Your thoughts?