How long can he sleep?

Paris20

My husband is sleeping longer and longer. I know this is part of the disease but it is now 4:15 pm and he refuses to get out of bed. He is sleeping on and off, refuses to eat, and becomes belligerent when I try to have him get up, dressed, and have something to eat. I’ve read that it’s OK to let him sleep but it is becoming way too much. I think he’s approaching stage 6 but he still knows us all and can still dress and feed himself, albeit with some difficulty. He is not near the end of his life but if he continues on this path, he’ll starve to death.

Joydean

Paris, I don’t have any information on the sleeping. I just wanted you to know I hear you. 

Has he been sleeping like this for days or is this the first time to sleep this long?  Has any of his meds changed lately? Will he take anything to drink?  These are just the questions that would cause me to be concerned. 

Hope tomorrow will be better and he will decide to get up. Prayers for you and your husband. 

jmlarue

Experience informs me that there is such a thing as losing the "will to live." If you have not already done so, you might consider asking that he be put on hospice care. It will, at least, give you some additional in-home helpers with his care. Someone other than you may be able to encourage him to eat, move, deal with any pain issues, or assist with behavioral issues he's developing. A hospice designation presumes that the patient will likely die within 6 months, but that can be extended virtually indefinitely. Believe me. It's probably the easiest way any of us can get outside help with caregiving and the hospice people I've had personal experience with for other family members were like angels. It surely doesn't hurt to ask for you DH to be assessed for hospice care. If he's not ready, they will tell you so.

harshedbuzz

Paris-

I wonder if your DH is farther along in the disease progression than late stage 5. 

The old saw is that a PWD is considered to be in the latest stage for which they have symptoms/behaviors. My dad straddled stages the entire time after he was diagnosed. 

My mom and I frequently disagreed about where dad was in terms of the disease progression, in part, because his path was a bit atypical. She clung to the fact that he knew who we were, was quite verbal and ambulatory as "stage 5-6" while I was alarmed by steady weight loss that defied high calorie treats daily, swallowing difficulties, physical changes in appearance, the inability to smile and increased need for sleep. 

Sadly, my sense was the correct one. I think jmlarue's suggestion to consider a hospice evaluation is a good idea. A second set of experienced eyes could give you a better sense of where you are.

Stages of Dementia Dr. Tam Cummings

HB

Ed1937

harshedbuzz wrote:

The old saw is that a PWD is considered to be in the latest stage for which they have symptoms/behaviors.

I've seen that said several times, but I really have a hard time wrapping my head around that. I don't even look at the charts anymore because she seems to be really "all there" most of the time (with the exception of incontinence), but has what might be considered late middle stage or early late stage symptoms. I just don't know.

indy girl

indy girl

My husband says he is so tired all the time. He uses a CPAP at night and I know that he does get some sleep. He doesn't want to wake up and eat and he has cancelled his dialysis treatment enough times that the center has told him if there is one more cancellation, they can't treat him anymore. He seems to be most alert in the early evening. He is still independent for dressing and bathing although I'm not sure how well he does at bathing. He was going through graham crackers at the rate of about a box a day. I had to hide them and now he has to ask for them. Now instead of graham crackers, he eats Cheerios. The constant snacking is dampening his appetite for nutritious food. I'm not sure what stage he is in because he has moments of great clarity but also great confusion. I need a break from the stress so I work. My adult children do not want to have anything to do with him or help me in any way. I do feel pretty much alone.

Stuck in the middle

Ed1937 wrote:

harshedbuzz wrote:

The old saw is that a PWD is considered to be in the latest stage for which they have symptoms/behaviors.

I've seen that said several times, but I really have a hard time wrapping my head around that. I don't even look at the charts anymore because she seems to be really "all there" most of the time (with the exception of incontinence), but has what might be considered late middle stage or early late stage symptoms. I just don't know.

I think it is important that our LOs brains are physically deteriorating, and different people lose different parts of their brains.  It's a little like the scene in "2001" in which the human astronaut deactivated the computer one piece at a time and the computer regressed. 

I knew a man with AD who woke up unable use his right arm and leg.  That part of his brain (right side motor function) had been destroyed overnight, like a stroke but due to AD.  

What functions are lost seems to depend on what piece(s) of the jigsaw puzzle are missing.

Stuck in the middle

Sorry, Indy Girl.  I'm in a similar situation, except my wife is more functional so far.  Going it alone is pretty scary sometimes.