Please take your dad to the doctor to be evaluated. I know taking care of an aging parent is extremely hard. Its always hard to know what to do or who to turn to. I would begin with the family doctor and tell him everything you have told us. They need to review his blood work, his medications and maybe do a cognitive test. He could have vascular dementia that is also affecting his moods.
My dad is 88 years old and 240 lbs about 5 feet 4 inches. He has great days, he has days he's up all day seeing imaginary people or talking to people who are not there and then he has days that he just wants to sleep. He can walk but now he's using a walker sometimes and he only showers maybe once a week. He still has a sense of humor and is a great guy but it's very hard to watch. Does anyone recommend a geriatric doctor or a neurologist. Are these signs of old age or dementia and who diagnoses this kind of behavior?
My hubby is only 65--and would MUCH rather sleep away any given day, yes, he has depression and I try to be aware and supportive of his need for "lone wolf time". He also has some health issues that require he take meds at certain times. He sets his phone alarm and is relatively good about taking his meds.....but slips up enough that he will start feeling ill. (Type 2 diabetes, liver transplant patient). He doesn't take good care of himself, it's frustrating. I try to remind him, when I hear the alarms go off "Hey, do you want a drink or snack with your evening pills?" He's perfectly capable of handling his meds, but sometimes just doesn't wanna. When his depression was worse, he would sleep for days, literally, and it was horrible. He is somewhat better still working on it, but whenever he sits down, he goes to sleep. I fuss him a little, I hate to say, but he is semi-resistant to anybody "bugging" him.
Also try (with no success, for the most part) to include a walk or some kind of physical activity on the days he's home.
In the end, I am his wife, not his mommy and I get tired of "bossing" him. Sometimes I DO just let him sleep.
You don't say how old - but with Alzheimer's - this does happen. First they sleep a lot even without Dementia - and getting them to eat is a whole 'nuther situation.
Have you called Hospice Care? They can help you to evaluate your father's present condition. Even HomeHealthCare can do that. I called them in last spring for the same reasons but his DIL sent me a "care package of healthy crap" and between that and a lot of researching online and in forums like this, I got him back on track. But it's slow progress and DH doesn't have dementia. His has been diagnosed as "age related memory loss."
I read here at AgingCare.com that if all they want to eat is a bowl of ice cream, then give them a bowl of ice cream. It's still food and calories. I switched as many supplements to chewable as possible and use "Greens Powders" to try to get him to have some greens. I am using Barleans Chocolate Silk Greens and making DH hot cocoa with an ensure base - some days it's all he wants and he'll ask for 3-4 of them. It's alright - another day passes and he's still eating.
I hope you figure out what the problem is. With my DH, I was dealing with Candida Overgrowth but I had to figure it out on my own. Thrushmouth and dehydration = candida overgrowth for my DH. A couple of pills daily (good probiotic and candida control) and he turned around again.
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Please take your dad to the doctor to be evaluated. I know taking care of an aging parent is extremely hard. Its always hard to know what to do or who to turn to. I would begin with the family doctor and tell him everything you have told us. They need to review his blood work, his medications and maybe do a cognitive test. He could have vascular dementia that is also affecting his moods.
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He also has some health issues that require he take meds at certain times. He sets his phone alarm and is relatively good about taking his meds.....but slips up enough that he will start feeling ill. (Type 2 diabetes, liver transplant patient). He doesn't take good care of himself, it's frustrating. I try to remind him, when I hear the alarms go off "Hey, do you want a drink or snack with your evening pills?"
He's perfectly capable of handling his meds, but sometimes just doesn't wanna. When his depression was worse, he would sleep for days, literally, and it was horrible. He is somewhat better still working on it, but whenever he sits down, he goes to sleep. I fuss him a little, I hate to say, but he is semi-resistant to anybody "bugging" him.
Also try (with no success, for the most part) to include a walk or some kind of physical activity on the days he's home.
In the end, I am his wife, not his mommy and I get tired of "bossing" him. Sometimes I DO just let him sleep.
Have you called Hospice Care? They can help you to evaluate your father's present condition. Even HomeHealthCare can do that. I called them in last spring for the same reasons but his DIL sent me a "care package of healthy crap" and between that and a lot of researching online and in forums like this, I got him back on track. But it's slow progress and DH doesn't have dementia. His has been diagnosed as "age related memory loss."
I read here at AgingCare.com that if all they want to eat is a bowl of ice cream, then give them a bowl of ice cream. It's still food and calories. I switched as many supplements to chewable as possible and use "Greens Powders" to try to get him to have some greens. I am using Barleans Chocolate Silk Greens and making DH hot cocoa with an ensure base - some days it's all he wants and he'll ask for 3-4 of them. It's alright - another day passes and he's still eating.
I hope you figure out what the problem is. With my DH, I was dealing with Candida Overgrowth but I had to figure it out on my own. Thrushmouth and dehydration = candida overgrowth for my DH. A couple of pills daily (good probiotic and candida control) and he turned around again.