Mom wakes at least 2-3 times a night. She is bedridden and has a colostomy bag and diaper. She can not walk but at 3am insists she can and now is physically fighting me to get out of hospital bed in living room, where I also sleep. Adivan not working as it once did. I am suffering with bad back and lack of good sleep. Made decision to begin hospice care in home this week. We have had palliative care last couple months. Pray I will get more care and answers for both of us by doing this now. Realizing that, after all she has been through in last few months physically, her mind did not keep up. Overwhelmed physically and mentally at this point for both of us. Are there good safe sleep aids for elderly dementia patients??? I don't want to give her anything that would make things worse. I have heard that dementia/Alzheimer's patients should be careful about sleep aids. Right now we are both suffering.
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The NH used trazadone to help my mother sleep through the night, in a small dose. My doctor prescribed it for me for the same purpose, but unfortunately I developed side-effects. Anyway, that is a common drug that a doctor might try.
Generally, melatonin is more useful for getting to sleep rather than staying asleep.
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There are also prescription medicines that can help, my mom is using mirtazapine, trazadone is another med commonly used for elders with dementia.
As for Hospice, you won't get any extra care as Hospice will stop by maybe for a half hour or so each day or every other day. With Hospice all medicines that your Mother is taking will be removed, except for those that provide comfort. You can ask Hospice what they would suggest to help your Mom sleep through the night.
As we age ourselves, we will wake up in the middle of the night as our bladder decides that 3 a.m. is a good time to head to the bathroom :P For some, it is 2, 3, 4 times during the night. It's just part of aging.