How to stop caree from drifting off to sleep

My caree (elderly relative with chronic heart failure) tends to fall asleep while getting up in the morning, going to bed at night, on the loo, during afternoon tea with a guest etc. She has a visiting social carer who helps her with getting up in the morning, and that social contact somehow helps her stay alert; she doesn’t fall asleep while her carer is with her. In principle we could do more of that, we could get a visiting social carer (or me) to hover over her and talk her through going to bed etc but I wondered if anybody had found other non-drug ways to handle this? Personally if I was sleepy and had routine things to get done, I would listen to an audiobook or similar through headphones to stay alert. Maybe turn a radio on?

Have you ever googled Signs of Dying? You will find articles explaining how the body slowly shuts down over a very long period.

Hi Philip

First of all, when was the last medical review? blood tests?
is this fatigue new?
is the caree taking fluids and eating?
How are the stats - bloody oxygen sats levels, temperature, blood sugars, blood pressure?
Is the caree sleeping well at night?

When all medical reasons are ruled out, there are issues of ageing, the elderly can be prone to being sleepy. This can be down to boredom, tired from exertions, saving themselves for exertions.
Lack of stimulation - clubs, charity sitting services - engage whatever local charities to come and sit with caree once a week for 2-3 hours, they don’t do any caring, just companionship. Or try out radio stations depending on if she likes pop music, classical, or radio 4 with topical debates, issues, garden questions panel, dramas etc, jigsaw puzzles, puzzle books - ask if she wants any of that kind of thing to do.

Sometimes they can pretend to be asleep when they want someone to leave or it could just be a way of zoning out from the dullness and boredom of the lack of stimulation and engaging conversation…

My mothers doctor explained that we all start the day with a jar of energy but due to her age and conditions my mother only has a quarter of a jar of energy and she needs most of that for her lungs and that her heart is making up a lot for her lungs, hence her fatigue. She’s had some TIA strokes which can cause fatigue.

Has anyone spent any time with your caree between necessary care tasks eg meals and washing?
Does she manage to stay awake with you at other times and engage in conversation? If so then keep doing so to see if she can keep that up or if she eventually tires and gets sleepy.
If she can’t keep awake and engage and there are no medical reasons then it could just be age and health conditions making her tired.

My mother has good days and weak/tired days now, some days she is lively and others she is sleepy.

No advice but good luck.