Follow
Share

My mom has dementia and is in a memory care facility. Every time I go to see her, she is sound asleep, and even if I try, I cannot wake her up (if I do, she is very groggy, and our visit does not go great). When I ask staff about it, they report that she is often up during the night. It sounds to me like she has her days and nights mixed up. What can I do, or what can I tell the facility, to help her get back on a normal sleep-wake schedule?

Find Care & Housing
Talk with her doctor(s). She probably needs a change in medications. She may need different medications, or a change in the dosage and/or timing of her current ones. The facility administers the medications as prescribed by the resident's doctors or nurse-practitioners.
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to MG8522
Report

You might want to bring your info to her doctor. Look up RASS score to assess wakefulness. It sounds like -5. You can also see if she responds to some painful stimuli. She might be medicated
Helpful Answer (0)
Reply to MACinCT
Report

Are you sure that her memory care isn't medicating her to the point of sleeping all day? That was my first thought after reading your question, as often drugs are used in memory cares to keep folks more calm, and in your moms case it may just be knocking her out completely. Perhaps a talk with her doctor about changing her medications or at least lowering the dosage or time given. Just a thought.
Helpful Answer (1)
Reply to funkygrandma59
Report

There are some excellent articles about sleep schedules on Aging Care. Go to the top of the page and click on RESOURCES... now click on "Caregiving Topics".... click on the letter "S" .... scroll down to "Sleep Issues". Hope this helps.
Helpful Answer (1)
Reply to freqflyer
Report

Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter