Mom is 80, dementia, COPD, several falls. She sleeps approximately 22 out of 24 hours. I'm so worried. Any advice?

Has there been a med change. BP medicine increased. If so, this will cause the symptoms ur talking about. If not on BP meds, low BP would cause this too. I think she needs lab work to rule out anything that would cause this. I would take her to the doctors.

When it came to TV, I turned on the stations that played the old TV shows.

At the risk of sounding like a smarty-pants, I have to ask why this concerns you. Because she has dementia, her world probably makes no sense to her any more. When she’s asleep, she doesn’t have to deal with hallucinations and people she might feel she should recognize but doesn’t. She’s a fall risk, so moving about without someone right there is risky. Her COPD probably makes her tired and weak. If she eats well, she most likely is not actively dying.

What would she do if she was awake? Watch television? Shows may be difficult for her to follow and there’s such crud on now it wouldn’t keep her interest for long. If she’s awake, you’ll need to find something to occupy her time.

To set your mind at ease, do call her doctor. It could very well be a medication that’s making her so sleepy.

Do you have any guidance about what dementia stage she might be in? Are her meds making her tired?