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Also, her appetite is greatly decreased. Doesn't care for protein/meat. Still likes her veggies and anything sweet. Is all this kind of normal for age? Is she entering a transition period / end of life?

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My dad slept in his bed from about 8 pm til noon every day and would only get up because the aide would insist he eat some lunch. He napped in his chair all the rest of the day. He was proof that you could live on popcorn, Hershey bars and Oreos - the only food he ate for years. He lived until 102. Yes, it is part of the winding down process for them but he still enjoyed visitors, my visits, and watching some TV between his naps. His last words to me were "Don't bother to buy popcorn tomorrow. I don't think I'll be eating it." It was a classic understatement from him.
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My husband went from sleeping a "normal" 7 to 8 hours and as he declined would sleep 12 hours then 18 then the last year he might have been sleeping 20 hours and the last few months he would barely wake for a shower a meal or a brief change.
Sleeping more is one of the declines that Hospice documents for recertification.
If mom is not on Hospice you might want to contact one of your choice and have her evaluated. The help and support you get and the care she would get is nothing short of amazing.
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When Mom was 88 we had caregivers that would wake Mom up for meals.

My boyfriend asked me what would happen if Mom was never waken up? Would she just sleep indefinitely?, i.e. for 2 or 3 days straight? We never tested the hypothesis.

Sleeping a lot is really common.

Give her what she likes to eat.
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Call hospice and have her evaluated for hospice services and/or palliative care. This will provide support for you and people to answer questions such as this.
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My mother is 82 years old with dementia. She sleeps an average of 18-20 hours a day with only 30-45 minutes of awakeness as most. She started with more sleep than awake hours 3 years ago. It is a progression of aging and dementia. She does have an appetite but only around 800-900 calories a day. She will drink ensure that we pass off as a milk shake for added protien.
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Thank you for this information! I didn't realize that this can go on and on.... she is relatively healthy otherwise.
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cwillie Apr 14, 2025
The prolonged period of total dependence is what finally broke me and why my mom ended up in the nursing home, I kept at it for a long time thinking we were almost at the goalpost. My mom wasn't the only one like that in her nursing home, and some of them were there before her and still there after she was gone - I would never have believed people could live so long in that condition.
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Sleeping more and eating less is common to the aging process.
At 95, yes, this is all a part of being more near the end of life.
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It's so hard to say. My aunt is this way. When I first went to visit her two years ago. She would sleep all day. Barely ate. If she did, it was only vegetables or fruits or sweets. My cousin kept saying aunt didn't have long. She saw it with her dad, the constant sleeping. Means she's going to be transitioning soon.
Here we are, two years later and aunt is still here. Same sleep patterns, I assume. I don't have an answer except to say I've seen it with my aunt and we thought the end was near, and it wasn't necessarily so.
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pgcaregiver Apr 14, 2025
Thank you... some days I think "how in the world can she keep going like this?!" . Thanks for your feedback!!
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Does she have any existing health conditions? Heart? Cancer survivor? Kidney issues? When was the last time she had a physical? If able, consider taking her in for her annual free Medicare wellness exam and this may shed some light on what's going on and whether anything can be/should be done about it. It may make hospice a solution to consider, or other comfort care. As people age they prefer sweets more and more because it is the last working taste buds left on the tongue after salt, sour, bitter and umami all diminish. It's the one they can taste the most. May you receive peace in your heart on this journey.
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pgcaregiver Apr 14, 2025
I had her to her doctor in January and all labs were stable and exam was stable. She is due next month for a f/u visit. Health wise, she has CKD 3B, and history of a minor stroke. I mentioned her sleep schedule and decreased appetitie during the last visit, but doctor just kind of shrugged it off. I ddin't realize the taste bud info.... that explains a lot! Thank you!
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Sounds quite normal. I watched my dad sleep more and more and he developed a big sweet tooth with later age. Signs of end of life according to the hospice nurse we used are three things, stopping communication, sleeping a deeper than normal sleep, and loss of appetite. I wish you both peace
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pgcaregiver Apr 14, 2025
Thank you.... She doesn't talk a whole lot anymore either.... didn't think about that until you mentioned.
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My mom lived another couple of years after she reached this point (18 months in the nursing home) and the nurses told me that people like this can go on indefinitely as long as they a medically stable. In the end it was aspiration pneumonia that took my mom at age 99.
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