My mother had a massive stroke in February. She has been going down hill. Is it ok to let her sleep all the time?

My mom slept about 16 hours a day while she was still at home, mostly because she was bored. I put her in memory care a year ago, and they've kept her busy and mentally stimulated to the point where she didn't nap at all. Eventually she started snoozing in her wheelchair on and off during the later afternoon, and now she's finally taking full-on naps in bed as she declines.

Your mom could just need more stimulation that she's getting.

This can be age related in addition to the stroke.

Is she sleeping reasonably well at night? Can she be wakened for meals, visitors, other events through her days? Any activities she can stay awake for?

Does she receive any restorative therapies?

Has her neurologist discussed her needs with you? Have you asked him about her sleep/wake schedule? Has her desire to sleep increased/decreased, or has it been the same since her initial recovery from the stroke?

Before Covid my 91 year old LO slept a lot, probably too much, by choice, but she would also spend time awake in her MC Dayroom, walk with a walker, and spend some time in each day awake. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to follow her schedule since the last lockdown.

Is she suffering from depression, that is causing her to want to sleep all day, or do the Dr's believe it is because of her stroke? If it's depression, she should probably be put on some kind of an antidepressant, to see if that helps. If it's because of the stroke itself, it might be time to get Hospice involved and let them give you their opinion on the situation. Best wishes.