Hi Everyone on TP, although l have been visiting TP regularly,reading your posts and getting support for the past few years this is my first post. My wonderful Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers seven years ago and is now in a CH.Since Christmas there have been some significant changes including loss of mobility and not being able to weight bear which l understand is all part of the horrible decline,but the last few weeks she as hardly opened her eyes whilst awake and sits chatting(incomprehensibly) with her head down...is this also part of the decline??? Is anyone else experiencing this?
Head down eyes closed whilst awake
- Thread starter Pramly
- Start date
Hi Pramly, and welcome.
What you describe is fairly common, from what I understand. I know my husband, in the later stages of his illness used to spend time sitting or lying down with his eyes closed. Maybe it's a way of closing off confusing stimuli? Who knows.
What you describe is fairly common, from what I understand. I know my husband, in the later stages of his illness used to spend time sitting or lying down with his eyes closed. Maybe it's a way of closing off confusing stimuli? Who knows.
My mum has had her eyes closed much of the time for the past three months. She will open them when prompted, but they don't stay open very long. Apart from a few calm days, When she seems more alert, the only time they are wide open is when she is angry. I keep asking her if she's tired and she says no. When I ask her why her eyes are closed she says she doesn't know. I have no idea whether this is an end stage thing. My mum seems to be full of contradictions as to what stage she may be. She still recognises us and at times is quite lucid, still continent, but from time to time has trouble swallowing.
hi Pramly
good to read you've been finding TP helpful - welcome to posting
my dad has times when he sits with his eyes closed and head in his hands - I think it's when he just feels overwhelmed by the world and his dementia; it's a way of shutting out a lot of the stimulation that is washing over him - it takes a lot of energy to process information and make some sense of what's going on around him, and sometimes he just doesn't have the energy - at those times he also needs to be somewhere quiet, or just listening to his favourite soothing music - I guess it's a way of making the world go away for a while - I can tell his good days as his eyes are wide open and more focussed
the chattering may be your mom's way of comforting herself, and also blocking out other sounds and voices that are just too much for her; she can focus on her own voice and, again, the world is kept at bay
my theory anyway - and may explain why over time, keeping eyes closed happens more often and for longer periods
best wishes
good to read you've been finding TP helpful - welcome to posting
my dad has times when he sits with his eyes closed and head in his hands - I think it's when he just feels overwhelmed by the world and his dementia; it's a way of shutting out a lot of the stimulation that is washing over him - it takes a lot of energy to process information and make some sense of what's going on around him, and sometimes he just doesn't have the energy - at those times he also needs to be somewhere quiet, or just listening to his favourite soothing music - I guess it's a way of making the world go away for a while - I can tell his good days as his eyes are wide open and more focussed
the chattering may be your mom's way of comforting herself, and also blocking out other sounds and voices that are just too much for her; she can focus on her own voice and, again, the world is kept at bay
my theory anyway - and may explain why over time, keeping eyes closed happens more often and for longer periods
best wishes
Hello there Pramly and welcome
My mother rarely opens her eyes now. Her eyes are closed even when being fed at meal times. I just continue to talk and hold her hand as if her eyes were open
xx
My mother rarely opens her eyes now. Her eyes are closed even when being fed at meal times. I just continue to talk and hold her hand as if her eyes were open
xx
Just to say this may also just be a temporary phase. From roughly last November till abour March my mother rarely had her eyes open. I needed to take a photograph with her eyes open for identity and I actually asked the staff if there was a better time of day to find her with her yes open. They said she rarely did that these days and if so only had one eye hal-open, which I'd noticed too. Yet she had an episode on ASC/ Tia whatever soon afterwards and now she generally has her eyes open. Not really 'seeing', more eyes open staring either at the end of the bed or up at the ceiling, but such a contrast.
When I thought about it this had become a pattern over the previous 3-4 years. Generally as the days lengthen she becomes more 'awake' (not alert but eyes open)and as the days shorten she seems to want to shut out the day with more closed eyes/ sleeping.
When I thought about it this had become a pattern over the previous 3-4 years. Generally as the days lengthen she becomes more 'awake' (not alert but eyes open)and as the days shorten she seems to want to shut out the day with more closed eyes/ sleeping.
Sounds like my mother is at exactly the same stage but as yet does not get angry only very sad & anxious. Thanks for your post it has helped me to realise its all part of the process.
Thank you Lady A, l did wonder if it was her way of blocking things out when it gets too much for her to deal with and for that reason l have refrained
from asking her to open her eyes. Although it does make communication even harder, we are relying totally on reading her body language now and praying we're getting it right!!!
Thank you Pilsnit, it is so hard knowing where we are on our journey and as l've learnt from reading posts on TP it does affect everyone so differently which makes it so hard to know where we're at!!! It's lovely that your Mom still recognises you and still has lucid times.My mom hasn't known who we (her children) are for a couple of years now and constantly calls for her Mom She has no problems with her swollowing and like your Mom is still continent! I know we are somewhere in the later stages of this horrible disease and are just trying to keep her as comfortable as possible.
hi Pramly
good to read you've been finding TP helpful - welcome to posting
my dad has times when he sits with his eyes closed and head in his hands - I think it's when he just feels overwhelmed by the world and his dementia; it's a way of shutting out a lot of the stimulation that is washing over him - it takes a lot of energy to process information and make some sense of what's going on around him, and sometimes he just doesn't have the energy - at those times he also needs to be somewhere quiet, or just listening to his favourite soothing music - I guess it's a way of making the world go away for a while - I can tell his good days as his eyes are wide open and more focussed
the chattering may be your mom's way of comforting herself, and also blocking out other sounds and voices that are just too much for her; she can focus on her own voice and, again, the world is kept at bay
my theory anyway - and may explain why over time, keeping eyes closed happens more often and for longer periods
best wishes
Thank you Shedrech, l hadn't thought about Mom's chattering being about blocking out other sounds and comforting herself, which now you've said it does make a lot of sense because on her better days she is a little less vocal.
Hello there Pramly and welcome
My mother rarely opens her eyes now. Her eyes are closed even when being fed at meal times. I just continue to talk and hold her hand as if her eyes were open
xx
Thank you CCOLE like your mother my Mom's eyes remain closed even when being fed too and l think you're so right it's about being there and still comforting them.
Thank you lemonjuice I hadnt thought that this could be temporary, l think that whenever there is the slightest change l'm very quick to panic that it's another decline when it might just be temporary.
Thank you newlook, it's really helped me too,to know others are experiencing similar things.
My father would sit with his eyes closed in front of the telly, and we would say excitedly "Look Dad, It's a..." and he would open them. Sometimes he would be riveted for five minutes at a time, and then the lids would come down. That was 3 years ago. Now he has his eyes closed almost all the time, and it is sweet to see his eyes open, him peering , as it hardly ever happens. We tell him to look out the window: there is a new bloom, or bird, or sunlight, and he will briefly open his eyes and say "lovely". I think blocking stimuli might have been part of it once, but it is purely exhaustion now. We gave up telly and do radio, ourselves being exhausted, too.
The stages overlap. There are changes which reverse a bit, or "good days and bad days" as they say. It is sadly like childhood in reverse, one loses abilities One by one. But there is the same essential person. My dad is changed and diapered like a baby, but he seems the same logical, thoughtful, person to me. I ask him, and he answers sensibly still.
My dad has been doing this for the last six months or so, very weird but we have now got used to it and just carry on chatting.
He will sit with eyes closed and answer questions, when I asked him once why he had his eyes closed he just said matter of factly ' I'm thinking' when I asked what about his answer was 'if I knew that I wouldn't have to think' we all laughed
He will sit with eyes closed and answer questions, when I asked him once why he had his eyes closed he just said matter of factly ' I'm thinking' when I asked what about his answer was 'if I knew that I wouldn't have to think' we all laughed
I think your dad hit the nail on the head Peter. Not seeing things is one less distraction while he's thinking things through.
Mum sits with head down & eyes closed unless someone engages her in conversation
My mum is 98 and was diagnosed with dementia 3 years ago. Things haven't changed very much in that time apart from increasing physical frailty. She still lives at home with carers 4 times a day and I visit once a week and bring her back to my house on alternate weekends as I live an hour's drive away. She sits with her head down most of the time when alone and even with me & my husband unless we directly engage her attention in some way. She is sociable however & does make more of an effort to keep her head up when other people are present so must be aware of it herself. I think it's just an effort to focus mentally and also physically as she can only see out of one eye and cannot really make conversation any more apart from maybe commenting on the weather. I am hoping to move her into a care home soon as I think she would benefit from the extra stimulation and company although she does not want to move. I think it's fear of the unknown and I'm taking her for day care in advance as preparation for the move. It's so difficult to know what is the right thing to do. I feel she could easily live a few more years and I want her to enjoy them if possible.
My mum is 98 and was diagnosed with dementia 3 years ago. Things haven't changed very much in that time apart from increasing physical frailty. She still lives at home with carers 4 times a day and I visit once a week and bring her back to my house on alternate weekends as I live an hour's drive away. She sits with her head down most of the time when alone and even with me & my husband unless we directly engage her attention in some way. She is sociable however & does make more of an effort to keep her head up when other people are present so must be aware of it herself. I think it's just an effort to focus mentally and also physically as she can only see out of one eye and cannot really make conversation any more apart from maybe commenting on the weather. I am hoping to move her into a care home soon as I think she would benefit from the extra stimulation and company although she does not want to move. I think it's fear of the unknown and I'm taking her for day care in advance as preparation for the move. It's so difficult to know what is the right thing to do. I feel she could easily live a few more years and I want her to enjoy them if possible.
Hello all this is my first post . I am full of mixed emotions after visiting my mum for the first time as we ease out of lockdown in her care home. It’s been 10 months since we have seen her thanks to Covid and I expected a obvious decline but the care home have been absolutely amazing ♥️However after seeing her yesterday I can’t get the image out of my mind of her sat next to us with her eyes closed and her hand on her forehead periodically reacting to our conversation she did not recognise us at all (which we expected) and due to her I believe after 10 years after diagnosis being in the later stages of dementia just look so tired and drawn. Why would she be sat with her eyes closed and hand on forehead would this be comforting is she in pain? She didn’t appear to be but wondering if it is part of the last stages and this is what is to be expected ....
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