Is it advisable to wake a senior with dementia to change if Depends are wet during the night?

If they're wet enough that you can tell that without waking the senior, then I'd say yes, go ahead and change the Depends. Keep the light low and disturbance to a minimum. Does this senior have all of the conditions listed on your profile including the broken hip, though? - if so, if possible have two people to help her and get the change done quickly and gently.

I had been waking my mother but she would be so disoriented and refuse to go back to bed. If there are no physical issues, I would not.

My mother lives in a Memory Care ALF & she's woken up every morning at 5 am for a Depends check and to ask if she needs to use the bathroom. Otherwise, she can lay there in a wet brief and wind up with a bad rash that's a whole lot MORE trouble than a 5 am check and trip to the bathroom.

Yes. It's advisable to wake a senior with dementia to check for a wet Depends.

You don’t say whether your mom is bed bound during the night. If so, the brief should be checked and it should be changed if wet. She can be rolled in bed and if awakened can go back to sleep afterward. Briefs are technically to be checked/changed every 4-5 hrs. If she has to get up to use the commode, an attendant would have to wake and accompany her using a bedside commode or bathroom. 5am seems like an odd time, unless they know your moms pattern. If she has a 10pm bedtime, for example, I’d ask them to switch the time to 2 or 3 am. Unless, of course, they know that your mom needs it at 5am

I guess it depends on the situation. Does it wake them up to be in the wet diaper? Is their skin breaking down or other negative repercussions? If not I'd, probably let it wait until morning or maybe keep the changing to once a night so as to let him get his sleep.

In AL it is difficult to check each resident throughout the night to determine if their pull up, or tab brief is wet. Starting with one resident and going to each apartment and checking by the time you got done with the last it would be time to start again, if the first did not need to be changed the first round good possibility they would by the next.
If the resident can get up and change that is one thing. Or if they need assistance they can call.
If the person is actually in AL it might be time to move to Memory Care where there would be fewer residents and checking and changing would not be so much of a problem.
There are also liners or pads that are specifically designed to be placed in an incontinence pull up or tab brief. This would keep the skin drier longer. And a good barrier cream would also be a good idea.

There are devices like purewick which is like an external catheter.

Imho, the answer that you're looking for is multi faceted - is the elder wet enough to attempt to have a change out and if so, can it be done in a fashion so as to let the elder get back to sleep quite easily - that would be a yes.

I don't know the correct answer, but I would think that depending on the nurses aides, they might be able to change without the person ever waking, but only if they noticed the whole bed wet.  most times I think they use some stuff to help prevent chaffing, etc., especially at bed time.  my father was in for 6 years and never had any issues.  they limit their intake of water before putting down to bed and change before sleeping and change immediately upon waking.  UTI's could be an issue with not getting enough to drink.  If you still have concerns, then speak with the head nurse at the AL.  wishing you luck.

Assisted living will put her on a "change" schedule.