Hi everyone, I wondered if anyone could give advice or share some thoughts. My Mum is 81, my Dad is the same age and cares for her as best he can. Recently she has started to sleep constantly. We wake her up, she doesn’t really want to eat or drink, just sleep. This is of course a major concern. The GP has looked at her and doesn’t seem unduly worried. I know dementia takes many forms but is this normal? Surely she cannot go on without food and water and I know some will say we should try to make her stay awake and eat, believe that’s far easier said than done
Always asleep
- Thread starter Pommie100
- Start date
Hi @Pommie100 welcome to TP
From my personal experience I know that the PWD very often sleeps much of the day away, all I can think of is that you keep her as hydrated as you can while she is awake.
Yogurt, custards, fortified drinks if the Doctor will prescribe them.
Please keep posting so we can help you.
From my personal experience I know that the PWD very often sleeps much of the day away, all I can think of is that you keep her as hydrated as you can while she is awake.
Yogurt, custards, fortified drinks if the Doctor will prescribe them.
Please keep posting so we can help you.
Hi Pommie, welcome to TP
I think it's fairly normal, most days about half the residents in the care home are asleep. My wife went through a phase of sleeping a lot, it lasted about 3 weeks, she'd go to sleep while I was feeding her with her mouth full of food. She's stopping doing it now, when I check her half hour observations she's down as being awake most of the day at the moment.
In the early days it was exactly to reverse, she'd be awake all day and most of the night, that was a nightmare as she wasn't safe to be left alone so when she was up I had to be up too.
As long as the doctor is aware and not concerned I wouldn't worry either, it's the way AZ affects some people.
K
I think it's fairly normal, most days about half the residents in the care home are asleep. My wife went through a phase of sleeping a lot, it lasted about 3 weeks, she'd go to sleep while I was feeding her with her mouth full of food. She's stopping doing it now, when I check her half hour observations she's down as being awake most of the day at the moment.
In the early days it was exactly to reverse, she'd be awake all day and most of the night, that was a nightmare as she wasn't safe to be left alone so when she was up I had to be up too.
As long as the doctor is aware and not concerned I wouldn't worry either, it's the way AZ affects some people.
K
Thanks for the advice. I will seek an appointment with the doctor again and see if they can prescribe. I feel like we are not helping her by not giving her basic nutrition, but we wake her, she takes a couple of bites or sips of drinks and goes back to sleep. Really difficult situation. Will keep updating
