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Unsure of what to do...my father is her caregiver...is getting very worried due to her struggling to keep her eyes open.

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my mother is in her final stages of dementia...sleeps most of the time...thank god she can't do anything else!! let these poor loved ones die in peace...why do you want to prolong their life anyway????
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Jolene Brackery writes in Creating Moments of Joy
She might ready to leave this world and go home. It should be OK to go home ..."
"It is more difficult for a person with dementia to "go home
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Jeannegibbs was right on point with information. Its also hard and informative and scary seeing others go thru things that I know may not be far off for me.
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Jennifer my heart goes out to you and family.
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nadene, you may get more responses if you start your own thread about this topic.

I suggest you consult a speech pathologist if your husband is bothered by his impairments. My husband had several speech lessons, with some homework. He did not necessarily remember what he learned but if it was important I'd remind him and he could make himself heard and understood.
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JenniferM, my heart goes out to you, your father and your mother. That is so young to be in final stage dementia! Hospice will help you call through this last leg of the journey.
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Besides life's end stage, you might want to consider whether or not your mom is taking a certain type of medication that's making her sleep more than normal. Medication was mentioned here, and you may want to read all of the labels very carefully to see if any of her medications cause drowsiness. Some medications that cause drowsiness should only be taken at night when you go to bed. You may also want to speak to the patient's Dr. Dehydration was also mentioned here, and yes it definitely can make you a little tired along with being nutrient deficient. Regardless of age, both of these factors is enough to make anyone tired. Lack of physical activity is another factor that could make you very tired after a while. Physical activity is very important to keep us strong and healthy. You need not be a bodybuilder to be healthy, but everyone needs a certain level of physical activity to keep the blood moving. You'd be surprised how little physical activity works wonders to stop a drowsy feeling. The same goes with staying hydrated and on top of nutrition, especially where you're deficient
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Thank you ALL for the responses. Hospice paperwork has been started. After seeing her primary doc and evaluation for pallative care...hospice care is what she will start receiving. She is 71 years old and her dementia progressed very rapidly, lost over 100 pounds in the last year. Prayers are appreciated.
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This is off the topic of sleeping a lot, but still pertains to my husband age 91. While awake, he makes a funny sound like hmm,hmmm,hmm, and when he does talk, he stutters a lot. If we have company and he's engaged in a game, he doesn't seem to do it, but, when he talks to me he stutters. Doesn't bother me, but it does him. He can't seem to project his voice or clear it properly. Anyone else have these kind of issues? Thanks.
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I dont know I think my grandmother dosed for years before she eventually passed at 91. My mother is 80 and active. But she does dose off a lot.
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Yes. As I have noticed, my dad sleeps more and more as he declines deeper and deeper with Alzheimer's. He gets up for breakfast and then goes back to sleep. He gets up for lunch and goes back to sleep. He gets up for supper and goes back to sleep. You can talk with him some while he is eating and that is about it. His sister had this also.
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I am reading this response to sleep. My mother is still very active. In past it used to concern me when she fall asleep sitting up alot. Now Im used to it but find she does this a lot. Meanwhile she attacked the rose bush in yard tied it up and pruned it. She is active but does spend a lot of time dozing alot. Does this mean she on way out of here. I know my grandmother did same as did a few others. I mean she is good to start up stuff and will call you a liar in a minute. should I be concerned ?
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yes, call hospice if necessary...they will help you with everything!!! they have been a god send for my mother and myself...and i wish i had called them soooooooner!!!
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My husband, 91, sleeps a lot, has mobility issues, and a catheter in. I think maybe lack of stimulation. He does have dementia, as well, recently had a bladder infection, which is being addressed. It is difficult to keep someone this age engaged, unless, maybe playing cards, which he does enjoy. Any other suggestions???I thought building Lego might engage his mind. I'm 18 years younger, so still active.
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Is she taking any medications? If she is, it probably is a side effect. If not, then dementia presents with varying degrees of symptoms depending on the stage of the dementia. But, if she is sleeping a lot without medication she is just winding down and her rest will end peacefully.
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I am going through the same thing with my wife who is 75. We are working with the Doctors on medications. She does have to take an anxiety pill but we may look at that. All other things have been eliminated-UTI, ect. Her body position is chin in chest and shoulder hunched. She still knows who I am. I strongly believe that she may have had a minor stroke or she is extremely depressed. I believe she knows in the back of her mind what is happening to her but cannot express. A doctors appointment with the Lou Ruvo Cleveland Clinic for Brain Health in Las Vegas in a week with all my questions for them to see if we can change this. She is in memory care and has lost 12 lbs. So she may be shutting down also but sleeps constantly. Sad when i visit her everyday for me.
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Just to further encourage you to follow the advive already offered. Encourage dad to have mom checked out by a couple of doctors. Three years ago or more my husband was sleeping all the time and I was told the end was near. So when he had an unresponsive episode, I naturally thought it was the end. But my son and I decided to call an ambulance anyway. A young doctor at the hospital immediately took him off the prescribed medicines. Turns out he had been prescribed morphine months prior to that and his body was reacting to the morphine. He is noe alert and much better--years later.
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Jinx has given you a good answer.

Increased sleeping is "normal" in the final stage of dementia. If this is really where Mother is, possibly it is time to consider Hospice Care. This would be especially appropriate if she is approaching 20 hours of sleeping per day.

If Mother is not in the final stage yet, then it may be appropriate to try to determine the cause of this sleepiness and see if it can be treated.

Mother's doctor should be aware of this symptom and be able to help you and Father make some decisions about a treatment plan.

My husband took a drug to help him sleep through the night, and then also took a drug to deal with the excessive daytime sleepiness. Our motto was "Better Living Through Chemistry" and not everyone agrees with that approach. His doctors were an internationally renown dementia researcher at Mayo Clinic and an researcher/sleep specialist psychiatrist. I mention this not to name-drop but to explain how we came to try so many drugs. Not all doctors are informed/patient enough to experiment this way.

I hope Mother's doctor can discuss this with you (or Father) by phone or email, and then decide whether she needs to be seen or some adjustment could be made without that hassle.

My mom has dementia. She will be 96 next month. Sometimes when I visit her in the NH she nods off a little while we are looking at magazines or coloring. In her case I chalk this up to age more than to the dementia. Looking around I see many other residents nod off, too. (Mom is on no drugs.)

I hope you will come back and report what the doctor says, what you try, and how it works. We learn from each other!
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Hi! The answer may depend on how long she has had dementia. If she has had it for many years, and is now sleeping all the time, this may be a sign that she will not be with you forever.

On the other hand, if she was more alert and engaged a few weeks or months, there could be problems that can be treated, and she might return to her former level of functioning.

Is she taking any new medication? It is easy to over-medicate the elderly. Each person reacts differently to a drug. Let her doctor know what is happening, and ask if you should try to reduce the dose on anything. There are probably lots of things that could cause this, like an infection, especially a UTI, or maybe dehydration. Has she been depressed?

In any case, she should be seen very soon by the doctor or a visiting nurse to decide what treatment is best. You can always take her to the ER in an ambulance, if that's the only thing that will work. If you don't live nearby, you should consider a visit sooner rather than later. Or maybe there is a trusted friend who can step in. Your Dad needs some support at this difficult time. Otherwise he may ignore the situation, hoping things will get better.
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