My loved one is 90 years old, has dementia, diabetes, and has been sleeping a lot (~20 hours a day). Lately however, she seems to fluctuate between good days and bad days. On the good days, she is in good spirits, seems relatively energetic, can walk around a bit with her walker and speak to us. On the bad days, her speech is slurred, her response slow, her energy low, and can barely move around. Is this normal that elderly people may experience this fluctuation in overall energy and behavior? Is this a sign of something else? It is as if it is night and day and we are puzzled at this.
like her normal self It is an emotionally exhausting ride. I have no answers unfortunately.
I had an aunt who collapsed suddenly at home due to a brain aneurysm in the specific part of her brain that controls wake/sleep behavior. The result was absolute unconsciousness - for months. Surgery, therapy, medications - all had no effect on her condition. On December 24th, the nursing home called her husband and children with an urgent message - she was sitting up, eating, drinking coffee, laughing and asking to see them! She seemed almost completely normal, and enjoyed the whole day with her family. Late that night, she fell back into her sleep state and passed away the next day - Christmas day.
There are so many things we don't understand beyond the physicality of death - this is definitely one of them.
me a book. It's not a lot of reading and I'm not sure it relates to dying from
old age, but I recommend it. It's called Gone From My Sight The
Dying Experience by Barbarba Karnes, RN. I now have my 90yr old mom living
with me. The doctor says she's in perfect health, other than her legs hurting
her and is slow walking. Her blood and organ functions are excellent. And
her stubbornness gets stronger each day! :)
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