My husband is in the middle stage to late middle stage pf Azheimer's and was sleeping about 12 hrs. at night and two naps during the day total time sleeping was 16 hrs. Now he's sleeping more about 19 hrs. He has been asleep since 6pm and it's almost 8am. Should I just let him sleep?His personality has changed, too. Mostly focused on the past (where are my parents, etc.).
My late husband towards the end of his life slept anywhere from 18-20 hours/day.
You can call the hospice agency of your choice and they will come out and do an assessment. And then they will send a nurse to your home once a week to start and aides to come bathe him at least twice a week. You will also have access to their social worker, chaplain, and volunteers, plus they will supply all needed equipment, supplies, and medications all covered 100% under your husbands Medicare.
I would just let him sleep unless he has to take any medications at a certain time.
I wish you well as you take this final journey with your husband.
I just wonder with someone like her husband, you shouldn't wake them for their bathroom duties? (no pun intended).
Your husband's sleeping could be something much worse instead, like repeatedly following you into the bathroom, turning on stove burners behind your back, or making it his personal mission to wheel the trash cans of all the neighbors into your garage before the trash truck has emptied them. Yes, these things really happen. Count your blessings!
—Thankfully we took him for an assessment. They said he had no clinical signs of dying but that many patients are suffering from DEPRESSION which is often overlooked. So I got him up every morning which he grumbled about but then did have some enjoyable moments.
—Consider taking your hubby outside for fresh air, even just to sit, or for a ride in the car. This energized my Dad. He’d be dozing off, but once he GOT OUT of the house he was awake and more alert. Does anything seem to interest or activate or brighten up your husband?
Note: There still is a person who is possibly suffering underneath those symptoms of Dementia. Sadly they can no longer really help themselves. Of course all this requires more effort and time AND I was already exhausted. So I had to start asking for help from other family members, even young adult nieces & nephews!
I found asking for SPECIFIC help worked out better. For example “Can you come for a visit once a week to take your Uncle outside for an hour AND then stay another hour to eat lunch with him?”. AND I’d explain that I would be available on call but taking a much needed break elsewhere! BEST WISHES
I'm always in the minority when this question comes up but I personally believe that trying to keep something of a schedule is beneficial and getting up in the morning to have a bit to eat and taking medications as scheduled, toileting or changing incontinence products, just moving or repositioning is better in the long term. The general feeling seems to be that once people start sleeping so much they are nearing the end of life so we should just let them be, but my mother lasted many years like that.
Increased sleeping is a decline and if your husband is not on Hospice you might want to get him evaluated.
Work with his schedule.
give him "breakfast" when he wakes but you might want to rethink breakfast. Make the meal a larger one so he is getting a meal. When he wakes again give him a snack. yogurt, fruit (be careful of slippery fruit like peaches and nectarines they slip down the esophagus very easily)
If he needs changing between waking up you can change him in bed and most likely he will barely wake up.
If they are sleeping lots because it's tiring for them to process information due to a damaged brain, but they're not at end of life, a structure will help them to not become dehydrated and to keep to a medication schedule. They can always go back to sleep after having a drink and tablets (and nutrition).
I'm sorry for your f-i-l's condition and what your family are going through. I wish you all peace and comfort.
In my view, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks in between, and administration of meds during the 24-hour day should be always at the same regular time.
The other suggestion is that we should keep them busy with activities during the day and prevent long naps so that they are tired when they go to bed, so that they enjoy a good deep sleep.
When a loved one is in the advanced stages of dementia, they sleep longer hours. However, the feeding and meds regiment should be always on schedule, uninterrupted.
I have written a book based on my studies and my 18 years of experience caring for a dementia patient, my wife. The book, "Dementia Care Companion" is available at Amazon.
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