Mom wants to sleep all the time, she's 89 with Alzheimer's and arthritis and is basically immobile.

judy, I would try to keep her on a schedule, if only for your on sense of organization. For the past 2-3 weeks here, my mother has been on a free-running schedule and it is starting to make me confused. I have been trying to round her back up to some normalcy. If she will wake up without much problem, I would wake her up for medicines, meals, and baths like normal. Of course, I'm not there, though, so know it may be more difficult. Sometimes we just have to play things by ear. A schedule is important to me because it gives me a sense of direction, like I'm doing what needs to be done. I feel like I am floating without one.

I wonder if this would be a good time to have her evaluated for hospice?

I'm not sure what stage she is in. She still remembers all of us. But she keeps asking when she can go home, and she's been living in the same house for over 40 years. I do know people revert back to their younger years, we mostly just humor her and try to make her realize where she is. But for the past month or so it seems like she'll go into these spells where she sleeps for 3 or 4 days at a time. We wake her up to clean her and give her a little food and she's exhusted and wants to go back to sleep. I've read that when they sleep alot it's the body's way of shutting down. I also think she may just be giving up. Which i totally understand. But when she's awake , she seems fine. she's happy and talking and eating normally. should we force her to wake up or should we just keep doing what we're doing and clean her up and feed her the little bit she will eat.

Hi, Judy. Do you know which stage your mother is in? People with advanced Alz often sleep a lot. Personally I feel it is okay, given the circumstances, as long as sleeping during the day doesn't interfere with their nighttime sleeping. It isn't easy to watch, though. We always hope the vibrant person we used to know will reappear. Let us know a little more about your mother and people may have some ideas to make things better.