How much sleep do the elderly really need?

My mother is 98. I am 66 and care for her in her home. She sleeps a lot. The possible reason that they are so lethargic is as my Mother's physical therapist explained: Movement creates energy, if you don't move you will not have energy as the body does not store it. At 98 her therapist said she could increase muscle. She has more strength since working with both an Occupational (upper body) and Physical Therapist (lower body). Both come to the house twice a week (total of 4 days). She moving better and faster. But the key is that movement creates energy. I read on another site they need a purpose, but finding it is the key. Have you ever had them sit on the toilet, don't take the diaper down and poop. Yuck!!!!

Thank you for sharing. I am so happy to know im not alone

My mother (66) also sleeps and watches tv most of the time. If she wakes up at a normal time, she often just lies in bed. I've asked her to shower every day, and empty the dishwasher. I say it's for exercise so she can keep her balance.

If she isn't up by noon, I tell her it's time to get up. She has lots of things she can do but doesn't do them. She won't even sit on the porch. She says she will, or she should do this or that, but then doesn't. I don't know if it is the stroke or depression. On the last doc visit, they increased her anti-depressant dosage. So we'll see if that changes anything.

my father is also like that before , but now I gave him an alarm clock w/c I put in his pocket that alarms at 7 a.m started to get up took his barley supplement wait for 30mins.till breakfast , set his alarm clock again every hour to drink a full glass of water , if not ,a slice of fruit like papaya water melon ,pear or pineapple to stay hydratedhe'll do this every hour till lunch ,at 1p.m ate his fruit and slept 2 hrs. at 3pm set his clock again to drink and eat every hour till 7 pm dinner time , walk a little bit around 20 mins.then sleep at 8.30p.m during midnight he eats a snack of boiled egg and sweet potato and a glass of whey,then go back to sleep untill the next morning .back then he sleeps all day without eating breakfast and lunch, that was very depressing .

my father is also like that before , but now I gave him an alarm clock w/c I put in his pocket that alarms at 7 a.m started to get up took his barley supplement wait for 30mins.till breakfast , set his alarm clock again every hour to drink a full glass of water , if not ,a slice of fruit like papaya water melon ,pear or pineapple to stay hydratedhe'll do this every hour till lunch ,at 1p.m ate his fruit and slept 2 hrs. at 3pm set his clock again to drink and eat every hour till 7 pm dinner time , walk a little bit around 20 mins.then sleep at 8.30p.m during midnight he eats a snack of boiled egg and sweet potato and a glass of whey,then go back to sleep untill the next morning .back then he sleeps all day without eating breakfast and lunch, that was very depressing .