My parents live with me (both in their 90s). My father has severe dementia and alternates between sleeping a lot or being up all day and night. He is on Atavan for agitation because he fights us when changing him or trying to give him something to eat. My mother cannot stand watching him not eat and she will insist that the aide or I wake him up to eat. If we wake him he is so angry and will knock the food out of our hands. I asked his nurse and she said not to wake him. I told the doctor but he never said what I should do. The nurse says don't wake him to eat, my mother says make him eat, and the doctor is noncommittal. Does anyone know what to do in this situation? Sometimes he does eat three meals a day, sometimes two, sometimes one; each day is different.
Although I agree that eating on a strict schedule is not helpful, other concerns of excessive sleeping is the timing of medications & toileting schedules, loss of muscle tone leading to frailty, and skin breakdown. I would want to work with the doctor on sorting out his excessive sleep/wake cycles, ativan doesn't work for everyone and there are other medications such as antidepressants and anti psychotics that help some people. Is his doctor a specialist or just a GP?
So, poor Mom. But Dad is the one that needs you to advocate for him now. Don't wake him up. Don't offer him large meals.
Is he on hospice? Would that be appropriate?
Don't push to eat a solid 3 meals a day either; sometimes people (and not just older ones) just don't need to eat on that kind of regular basis. Plan meals according to his waking and sleeping patterns.
And explain to your mother that it's best if he eats when he's fully awake and in the mood to eat. No one wants to be forced to eat, although that's not a problem I've ever had.