My mom with alzheimer's is sleeping more.
Hello. I am new here. This is my 1st time experiencing a family member with alzheimer's. My mom, who was diagnosed 7 years ago with alzheimers, has been sleeping more. She sleeps around 17 hours a day now. It is getting harder to wake her when I visit in the mornings. She has 24/7 round the clock care at home and is bedridden from a fall. She is also in diapers. My brother, who is her guardian, insists she is doing great. Because she still eats and can connect to people, I am concerned that we can get easily fooled and as a result, miss signs of progression. I was wondering, under the circumstances I am describing, how long until they start to have difficulty with eating? I am really scared that my brother is missing the signs.
Hey there
thank you for sharing some of your journey. Because this disease is unique for each individual experiencing it, it is tricky to give a specific time as to when each stage progresses to the next. I would advise speaking with your moms care team (primary doctor, neurologist, etc) and sharing the signs that you are seeing and ask the questions you have as mom progresses. Maybe your brother can join you on the conversation so he can also hear and stay informed as the best ways to prepare for the road ahead. I hope this helps.
Nikki, Community Moderator.Thanks for the advice. I will be speaking to her neurologist soon. Today she was very engaged, but the last 2 days she was sleeping alot and not eating. So it changes daily.
, I am sorry your mom is declining from Alzheimer's and now requires round the clock care. Thank you for sharing about your mom and family with our community. Your situation with your mom sounds similar to our family's journey with my mom. As her disease progressed my mom also required round the clock care, was bedridden and in diapers. You mentioned you are concerned about your mom and when she would begin to have difficulty eating. As Nikki mentioned each persons experience with this disease is different. When we noticed my mom choking, gagging and coughing while eating more and more often, we knew we had to be more vigilant and speak with the Doctor about the next steps. All moms food had to be pureed or a liquid as the disease progressed. I hope speaking to your moms Doctor helps you and your brother prepare for the journey ahead. Please know that our community will be here for you. Warmly, Pam-Community Moderator Thanks for your support. It sounds like your situation is similar to ours. It feels like there are very slow changes in her behavior and it's hard to tell if it's simply a bad day or if she is declining even more. At this time, she is still eating, can sometimes self feed with support, but she is definitely sleeping more. Also, she has become clinically obese because our brother, who lives with her, is so worried about her not eating that she has been overfed. They are trying to give her only diabetic meals and soup, but I think the problem is she is being woken up to eat, and at times I feel it's forced feeding. I understand alzheimers patients don't always know when they are hungry, but I am going to find out about hospice care so there is a doctor involved and not just a nurse practitioner and home health aides. I respect the hard work of all care takers, but none of us are medical doctors. Thanks again.
