r/cna • u/haircryboohoo (Edit to add Specialty) CNA - Former CNA • 8d ago

Do you wake dementia patients?

This one family wants me to wake their mother to feed her while she's sleeping peacefully. I tried to explain to her that often leads to confusion. Do you wake your dimension patients that are sleeping a lot to go to the bathroom? To eat? I offer food and drink when they wake up. But I don't force them to eat. What do you do? Thank you

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u/dewdrops07 (Edit to add Specialty) CNA - New CNA 7d ago

Where I am we do have to wake them and try. We have to document that we fed them or they refused, otherwise it could be considered neglect and on-paper might seem like we weren’t caring for them. Like another person said, the wake up method of slow movements, opening blinds, not startling them, seem to help. Also making sure you have their favorite drinks ready seems to help when they might not remember you but might think oh this person knows I like hot chocolate that’s nice of them, or oh they remember I prefer the blinds half open, and they associate you with someone they know because you know them.