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My husband is in in-home hospice and I am his primary caretaker. Should I wake him up to give him pain meds or bipolar meds or let him sleep? He still takes meds orally. Thank you.

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This is something to discuss with the Hospice nurses.
They know the patient.
They know the level you are at currently and whether especially the meds for bipolar would have a bad result. While they can certainly be delayed by hours, they cannot be abruptly withdrawn unless there are other medications being given, at the end of life, to sedate a person very well.

We are only strangers to your hubby and your dilemma here. We aren't at the bedside. That and the advice and attendance by MD is needed now. Pain meds, when someone is asleep and sedated, aren't required. But you an only put off the bipolar medications for so long without some expectation of repercussions.

Good luck. I am sorry you are at this point. I hope this will all bring peace and comfort. Do speak about ALL OF THIS with hospice.
Helpful Answer (17)
Reply to AlvaDeer
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While it's always best to ask the hospice nurse this question, I would personally say....let him sleep.
My late husband was under hospice care in our home for the last 22 months of his life and I don't recall ever waking him up to take his medications, as his hospice nurse told me that if his medications were 2 hours early or 2 hours late from their designated time, they still were considered "on time."
If your husband is sleeping that means that he is more than likely pain free otherwise he's be awake and making his discomfort known, so you just enjoy these quiet times and take care of yourself.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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I do know of someone that said, there biggest regret was not keeping the pain meds on schedule, because they didn't and the pain for the person got out of control and was hard to get back under control. So do talk to hospice about this

So sorry, this is a horrible hard time for you and your family. My deepest sympathy 😔
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Reply to Drivingdaisy
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Please let Hospice know that they are sleeping more. Sleeping more can be an indication of decline.
Medications can be administered in other ways than oral. Patches are common as are liquids so if dosing is important the method of administering them can be changed. Some medications can be eliminated as a person declines.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Very wisely put by an obviously sharp insightful contributor. Sleep
means the pain has receded enough to catch some 💤 and also brilliant remark by a qualified nurse indicating the process of taking one’s meds is not an unbending rule in most circumstances. Having been a witness to the pain that kept a lovely Lady unable to rest, and the rare times when finally she would be able to made a world of difference on that day. Lucky patient to have a true caring and dedicated caregiver.
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Reply to Chizzle
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I agree with all the answers given that the best advice is to check with the hospice nurse or MD. My husband had advanced Parkinson Disease and during his hospice stay, his hospice provider gave the additional option to give his pill medications like a suppository - if we could reach his backside without causing him distress. Just ask his hospice provider. May God bless you during this difficult time.
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Reply to StillWorking
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PeggySue2020 Apr 16, 2025
We got the Parkinson’s meds from hospice, but my sister frankly said not to even bother so we didn’t. She’s a chief regional surgeon at Kaiser.
(1)
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I am so sorry about your husband. He may be getting close to the end. Hospice should take notice of his skin color. Mottled skin is a sign too.
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Reply to Onlychild2024
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The answer depends on what the meds are for. Discuss with medical help.
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Reply to RetiredBrain
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Yes - he could sleep for hours. Tablets need to be regular normally - to regulate in the body. The odd day allowing for some rest but i wouldnt make a habit of it.
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Reply to Jenny10
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When my dad was in hospice, we only gave meds when he was at least awake enough to express agitation and pain.

Toward the end, they sleep more.
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Reply to PeggySue2020
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