awake but eyes shut?

[Peter1931]

Hi

Does anyone else's loved one in the daytime sit with eyes closed but is awake?

My dad 86, now in CH last few years over last year deteriorating, mobility getting worse, incontinence issues, sleeps OK at night but now getting harder to get him up in morning. Last two months noticed he sleepy more during day an when I visit he will start to close his eyes but if you say anything he answers straight away!?

I have asked him if his eyes are sore or hurt or if he is tired and his answer is no everything's fine!....is this the next stage of the disease?

 

[Kevinl]

My wife does it too even when I'm feeding her but as she always knows to open her mouth as the spoon/fork approaches. I can only assume that although they look closed to me they are just open a tiny bit. Other residents there are the same.
K

 

[SadScot]

My dad was the same for quite some time. It was only after he died that I realised that perhaps the reason he did that was to shut out some of the visual stimuli so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed. He often had his eyes shut but was very clearly listening and would eat and respond with eyes still shut.

On the morning dad died I felt completely overwhelmed with grief. I sat for a long time with my eyes closed because I just couldn't cope with opening them to a world which had somehow become incomprehensible to me because my dad was gone. It was only then that I saw how keeping your eyes closed may be an attempt not to be overwhelmed.