Expert: Michalene Peticca - 6/1/2009

Question
My mother has entered Hospice care in a nursing home. Failure to thrive and
dementia are her DX. Lately, she will suddenly fall into deep
"unwakeupable"sleeps that last up to 6 hours during the day. She awakens
alert but very confused. Is this a symptom of nearing end of life? Any
thoughts on what is happening to her when this occurs? Staff do not think
they are TIA's...but ?? Many thanks for any thoughts. G

Answer
Hi Gail,

Thank you for writing...i am very sorry about your mother's decline.

Yes, if she has entered Hospice, then end of life is in the near future.  

Failure to thrive is basically the body's inability to rejuvinate any further and beginning to "shut down".

Dementia is a progressive brain disease that at this state, generally "shuts down" the body.   So, yes, unwakeable sleep is common.  She would have confusion due to the Dementia anyway.  

However, we do feel that an individual can still hear and feel emotions from friends and family during unwakeable sleep, so  I encourage you to continue your visits even if they are reading to your mother, playing music for her or just holding her hand and talking to her.

Enjoy all these days that you two have left.  

Best Regards,
Michalene Peticca, MA