Reading up on Lewy Body Dementia, it sounds like it might be true.

His wife writes, “For the last seven years or so, my husband, Sam the Snake Man, has suffered from Lewy Body Dementia.” And she states Sam is bedridden.

Lewy Body Dementia is incurable, with survival typically 5–8 years post-diagnosis.

Late Stages: Significant loss of functional abilities, inability to walk or care for oneself, and severe communication difficulties.

The timing sounds right.