My mom is 84 and her new heart doctor is wanting her to take a sleep study and possibly start using CPAP machine?

I am 83, had a January sleep study plus many other tests for chronic fatigue and was then put on 2L oxygen at night and for naps. Reason: drops in O2 levels in my bloodstream due to emphysema after nearly one year of treatment, I notice a little more energy and a little less fatigue.
The sleep study is nothing to worry about. I had to go twice because I could not get to sleep! For the second test I was given one Ambien and Zzzzzz.

Hi, My Mom had a sleep study and went on a CPAP at age 85 due to obstructive sleep apena. She is now 89 and has Afib. Yes, it was a hard adjustment period. Actually it was a nightmare for my family, but we held firm and I helped her through the period (she would call out for me many times at night due to CPAP mask/hose issues). But she did adjust! Mom now sleeps like a baby, better than she has for years! Her mood has improved along with better cognition. I get the cold chills thinking about my poor mom NOT having her Cpap. We believe that the Sleep Apnea gave also my Mom her dementia. It is a huge risk factor. I would do everything you can to avoid this complication.
On thing that GREATLY helped Moms transition to the CPAP machine is we moved her bed near the wall. We then got a commode. We placed the commode against the wall so it is safe and braced. This way SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE OFF THE HOSE AT NIGHT. She had so much trouble with removing the hose, it was a nightmare! Now she steps out of the bed, takes two steps and can go to the restroom and get right back in bed. She DOES NOT have to remove the hose! Hallelujah! We have the CPAP on a small step stool next to head of her bed. We drill and drill Mom to be care to not get tangled with the hose. Even with Moms moderate dementia she does a wonderful job not getting tangled with the hose. Very low risk. The hose is short and the bed is close to the commode. No problems! I make sure to quickly dump the commode contents in the toilet for her every morning so it is low key and she never feels like it is a bother.
This has been a major game changer for us so our family can sleep through the night. Also as an added plus Moms Doctor said that many seniors fall and break bones at NIGHT when they are sleepy and go to the bathroom. We didn't want this complication on top of Mom's other medical issues.
Be sure to place the commode against a wall for stability. We also have a small cardboard box, next to the commode, that is just the right height with a roll of toilet paper on it. This way she does not need to bend down to the floor to pick up her toilet paper. I make sure the small/tall box is placed towards the mid-back area to the left of the commode so that it is a NOT a trip hazard. There is no way it will cause her to trip due to the placement. I hope this helps-Mom refused, kicked and screamed when we first tried out this system and we asked (demanded) that she try it out for "two weeks." We told her that if she does not like it, we will go back to her old routine of the regular bathroom. After 5 days she completely saw the light and we have been using this system for over 4 years now. She likes being more independent with this method and not having to wake us up when she could not get the hose detached. It has also been as blessing as she aged and became a higher fall risk because she is already used to the commode routine. All my Best, Anne

Thought you might be interested in this study

Link between Alzheimer’s and sleep apnea affirmed in brain tissue study

https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/alzheimers-dementia-sleep-apnea-link-brain-tissue-rmit/

My hose on my CPAP has a attachment that just snaps off for me to go to the bathroom. It is very easy. It takes about 30 days to really get used to it. I now reach for it nightly by habit and it isn't uncomfortable. I can tell a difference in my energy for sure if I skip a night. Also not sleepy during the day anymore. Age should not be a factor. It is annoying to me when it is insinuated that just because you are elderly you don't deserve the best medical care that is possible.

Ask the doctor why he wants the sleep study and what are the benefits. It is hard for some people to adjust to it. The new machines and masks are easier to adjust to.

I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea that was diagnosed when I was 51 years old. I had a sleep study done at a sleep center. I would stop breathing about 20 times an hour.

I think I had sleep apnea for decades.
I would often wake up with a headache and was tired during the day.  My sleep apnea caused me to hallucinate during the night. It's scary seeing strange men in my bedroom or bugs crawling up the walls. I remembered the hallucinations. They seemed so real. I was semi-awake when they happened. I would also choke a lot in my sleep. One night I told my husband to feel my throat because I thought I swallowed a cheese grater that I bought the day before. I did so many weird things in my sleep, like asking my husband who is it, whose there. I would fiddle with the outlets. I unplug them and plug them back in multiple times. That's a bit dangerous. I have so many stories.

Once I started with my CPAP machine all that stopped. It has been 15 years and I have never had another hallucination. No more frogs in the bed or bugs on the wall or strange men in my bedroom. I never go to sleep without my machine. I don't have headaches in the morning and I am not tired during the day. My sleep is so peaceful and restful.

I have obstructive sleep apnea which was caught 15 years ago @ ago when i was 50 yo. I was having 29 sec. of nonbreathing in 60 sec. I snored, had many headaches, fatigue, trouble staying awake, & awake about every hour during the night. I have tried all types of masks & because I'm a nighttime mouth breather I have to wear a full face mask. Some are fortunate enough to wear the nasal ones. The machine makes very little noise ( much less that someone snoring for sure). The thought that blood is not flowing to my brain & heart for 29 out of 60 secs. is enough to make me tolerate the annoying mask. After a short period of wearing it I got at least 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I wear it all night & I feel so much better, gone are the headaches, daytime sleepiness, It's worth it! That said, if mom doesn't take O2 off at night & doesn't get up often then it might be worth it to have the study. My mom, however would not keep her oxygen on which she was to wear 24 hrs./day let alone something bulky on her face. Her doctor had increased her nighttime oxygen level to help compensate the drop in her O2 level when she slept. You need to evaluate your mom's behavior's & decide if she would benefit from the CPAP machine or would she try to fight it. You can ask mom, but she might give you an accurate answer.

C-pap machines when fit correctly aren’t noisy. If she has sleep apnea it can help not hinder her health. I suggest having the sleep study to find out.

I do not recommend the Sleep Study or CPAP either. I'm an in-home caregiver for a lady 83 years old with a bad heart who has CHF/A-Fib and a Pacemaker. She also has the swelling in her feet & legs due to her bad heart. Pulmonary tests show her lungs are good; all her medical issues are due to her bad heart. She told me she tried the CPAP and could not get much sleep because it was noisy. She now has a home-oxygen unit located in a Guest Bedroom (away from her Master Bedroom) with 50' tubing and nasal canule so she can get a quiet and good night's sleep. With the longer tubing, she is able to get about the long length of her rancher home on her walker and be more independent.

Kneedeep01: Unless she has sleep apena, I cannot advocate to use a CPAP machine for someone like your mother - I see in your profile that she has Alzheimer's.

Hello Kneedeep01, My mother, 83 1/2, has severe lung issues due to misdiagnosed hiatal hernia and osteoporosis. In July 2020 she was rushed to the ER for oxygen levels in the 80 range. She is now on O2 for the rest of her life. Easy? No, but she adapted. In Aug 2020 her O2 was out of whack again. She was delirious, incoherent, had erratic breathing and was again rushed to ER. Turns out her carbon dioxide levels had reached the high toxic range. Bottom line diagnosis was a bipap machine. The Dr's would NOT release her until there was one, in place at the hospital, for her to come home with. Why, in God's name, would we question or refuse one? To refuse would quickly end my mother's life. And so began our bipap journey. Easy? Heck NO!!! I had to gently, but firmly, explain to Mom why this HAD TO BE. NO CHOICE! PERIOD! It is not cruel to love someone so much that hard decisions must be made. It IS cruel to knowingly allow fears and misinformation dictate these decisions. I KNOW one cannot MAKE/FORCE a loved one to wear one. My Mom is of sound mind and I have always been able to calmly educate her of the necessities she doesn't understand. Plus it helped that I have been a long time cpap user. After many tries with various masks I have found the nasal pillow to be the most comfortable. The face masks do not suit everyone and in these times of COVID trying on the many shapes and sizes is out of the question. A pulmonary doctor will oversee the study. I would recommend this be done at a sleep study facility. While inconvenient for some they are already set up with the equipment necessary. If she is afraid of doing this on her own, see if they would allow you or another trusted person stay with her. If absolutely not an option look into at home. A very important factor is the medical supply company that provides the equipment. In these COVID times many are overwhelmed with pulmonary patients and have left customer service in the past. Problems with mine in 15yrs=1 or 2 in the beginning. Problems with Mom's 1 month=95%. Hers do not answer the phone, return calls, did not measure and fit her mask properly, do not follow up with comfort of mask, demonstrate how to properly place machine and adjust mask in sleep position and piss poor delivery to name just a few. Her doctor recommended a certain type of mask for her comfort and they claim they do not carry it and oh well is their answer. Needless to say I found another reputable medical supply source that does and we will be transferring her care to them. This is not an easy process. So make sure, from day ONE, that what the Dr recommends is something they carry. It probably sounds complicated but it is not. Mom still uses her oxygen 24/7 and her bipap as required. A bipap is a cpap with carbon dioxide expulsion. Both mom and I are so proud of the way she has adapted and learned how to use her equipment. Her O2 levels are steady at 98% and there are no CO2 buildups. She sleeps throughout the night with no none breathing episodes. She is alert and well rested every day. I have my Mom back and hope to have her as long as God allows. To me it is a painless, no brainer.

Back in the fall of 2004 at age 61, I noticed I was having a terrible time at my work as a library/media guy in a middle school. I could not learn anything new. I was tired all the time, taking 3 hour naps Saturday and Sunday, sometimes a half hour nap at school. I had no creativity, no problem-solving ability. And then I found out I was forgetting how to do my job. Over Christmas break I realized I was also very depressed and decided to see my doctor after the break. When I told him what was happening, he replied that I needed to do a sleep study. It took 2 1/2 months to get in because they were so busy.
The wired me up, I went to sleep and they woke me half-way through the night and put a CPAP mask on. In the morning they had a machine adjusted for my use.
They explained that the reason I was depressed was that I could not dream. The mind needs to dream, otherwise you get depressed. The reason I could not learn anything new was because I had no deep sleep and long-term memories are only formed in deep sleep.
I was determined to succeed. It took me three nights to get used to the feel of the mask and I have used a CPAP machine ever since. All my abilities came back, but I had already resigned when I realized how inept I had become and I didn't want to become an embarrassment to the school.
What they didn't explain was what happens when you stop breathing. Your heart starts racing to get oxygen to the brain. When that doesn't work, you get a jolt of adrenalin to make you gasp and start breathing again. Adrenalin irritates your arteries and your body's response to that is to lay down cholesterol. Irritated arteries are a big danger.
So I got my CPAP machine in March and the following December had an emergency quadruple bypass because of my clogged arteries. It was then I was told of the connection between sleep apnea and clogging arteries. When I learned that, I decided to use my CPAP machines while napping, too. Why hurt yourself? Yes, you have to get used to wearing the mask. But you can.
Whether someone that old can learn is another question.
I routinely get 7 or more hours of sleep a night. My latest machine gives me a score each night on how well I did. I chart all the information to monitor how I am doing. My most frequent score is 100, then 99, 98, 97, etc. My most frequent number of sleep stoppages per hour is .5, then .2 I had one month last fall where I had 29 scores of 100 out of 30 nights. Then the mask leakage problems began. I still score in the 90s each night, but seldom reach 100.
When it is time to sleep, I kiss my wife goodnight, put on my mask, pull the covers over my head and am often asleep in a minute. I sometimes awake when I change from one side to the other, but immediately go to sleep again. My good sized bladder means I seldom need the bathroom until morning.
I love having all my abilities back. I exercise 2-3 days a week, am trying to learn a foreign language and enjoy having a mind that works well.
I have no idea how this would work with someone so old and further along in their decline. But there are many potential benefits from succeeding with this if you can.

My mom is 80 and 2 years in to diagnosed Alzheimer’s.
She’s tired ALL the time, so she had a sleep study done and is suppose to wear a CPap, but refuses. Her sleep study showed that she stops breathing 38 times per minute!!
Combine that with the alzheiemers brain wasting away. It’s a horrible combination. She sleeps 20-22 hours EVERY day and my 87 year old father cannot get her to Do what the doctors suggest. She has severe short term memory issues of course.
As a family, we have resigned ourselves that she will more than likely die in her sleep from lack of oxygen. Some things medicine just can’t fix.
As a full time care giver at age 87, I remind my Dad at how much easier he has it than most caregivers. My mom is always in bed. She doesn’t wander, she doesn’t follow him around, She doesn’t get angry, anxious or obnoxious....because she’s literally SLEEPING her life away.
I think this is a pretty sweet deal for her. So much of the Alzheimer’s angst and difficulties are not an issue.
its taken my Dad time to accept this, but he sees the benefits now.
Life......full of surprises.

I don’t know about the age issue but my brother he didn’t like to use his C-Pap machine, it didn’t fit right and instead of going back and getting it adjusted he just didn’t wear it. He died at age 62 when he stopped breathing in his sleep.

Both my partner and I have sleep apnoea, we're both 59. I'm actually sat outside the hospital having just had to take a 90 min bus journey to deliver hers as she was taken in suddenly with myasthenia gravis complications. They said they'd none spare. I know the relief she'll get from it, especially with her current problems. I couldn't manage without mine even though I believe i need further investigation into sleep problems. If its needed it can be a godsend and so I'd advise anyone to use it if advised.

Does your mom snore or stop breathing when she sleeps? If so, the sleep study will help determine her needs. Please be careful with oxygen use since many COPDers respiratory drive is linked to CO2 levels not O2 levels. Your Mom should have a respiratory doctor who can advise you better about her need for oxygen and if she needs a sleep study. Have the new heart doctor consult with her respiratory doctor.

I did not know I had sleep apnea until finally a doctor ordered a sleep test. Thank god I did. I had 78 episodes in five hours and anyone could have killed me. I wear my sleep CPAP nightly and sleep so get and I feel so much safer. If more people wore them, more lives could be saved. Get it done right now.

I am the same age as your mom, and just had my 4th sleep study. I have been using a cpap for 25 years and the reason to use a cpap is assist with your breathing while sleeping. If a patient wakes up because of sleep apnea ... stopping breathing ... or snores, a sleep study will determine if it is an issue. That's all it does and it is paid in full by Medicare. SHARONLAGS gives an excellent description about the sleep study. If you mom needs a cpap machine, it will likely lengthen her life and she will feel so much better. The biggest challenge would be finding a good fit, and a good respiration therapist will be very helpful with that. Their service is provided by the company where you will get the cpap machine. You don't say where you live, but if in the San Diego area, there is an excellent DME (durable medical equipment) company in that area.

I use it on a nightly basis; the difference in energy when using it is noteworthy. I would recomend having the sleep study to see if she needs it first.

I'm facing this same issue with my almost 93 year old father. He had a sleep study about a year and a half ago. Gave the Cpap a try for only about 2 weeks and then refused it. He wears an oxygen canella at night. However, just recently I inherited his care. I sat there during a nap and watched him. It was scary how he would stop breathing for long periods of time and then sort of have a little seizure and wake up to gasp. I watched it long enough to know we should try again as he has become more docile. I realize he may again refuse the cpap but I want to see if I can convince him (I have been convincing him to do other things he has refused). I'm going to ask to try the nasal pillow type to see if he can tolerate it better. My dad's heart is bad but his lung function has worsened considerably in the year and a half since he was tested previously. It may not work and I'm sure he has a right to refuse using it but we're going to try. Sleep study is at home at least

to me it sounds lie you have a very smart heart DR and I don't say that lightly since I think the majority of the DRs here where I live are idiots. Actually I would like to know the town you live in and the DR who is saying this because I might go to this person.
I have always wondered why when there are heart problems in an individual why the DRs do not look into sleep apnea issues first. That to me is the baseline probability of heart problems as this happened to me. If an elder needs CPAP and you do not use it this will only lead to more heart problems and possibly a bypass surgery guaranteed.
Putting on a CPAP mask is nothing the challenge is because they are elderly are they going to keep it on all night? That's your problem. Hope someone is living with your mother to monitor this. I will also add because I have been reading the comments - - - - anyone saying to you that you should not do this sleep test to find out if she has sleep apnea is just contributing to your mother's death and they should shut up, they are not DRs. Sleep apnea is essentially a slow killer. Not kidding. It's the easiest thing to overcome. We are not talking about brain surgery here, we are talking an easy fix to get your mother healthy again...OMG>>.

My mother's pulmonologist tried to push a CPAP on her -- at 85 years of age -- and we just told him there's no way she'd ever use it, so we declined all the studying and such.

She'd get up to go to the bathroom every two hours, so of course she'd never use the thing.

She's still plugging along just fine at 91.

It OK to say no. Some doctors like to try everything, but you aren't obligated to go along with it.

I've heard CPAP is not advised after a certain age. That we ALL will get sleep apnea to some degree as it is a what happens to an aging body. My parent's doctor advised against it as they were both in their 80's. He deemed it unnecessary.

Your mom may possibly have many more years to live and I would listen to this Heart Dr. Heart arrhythmia can be caused or exacerbated by sleep apnea. The latest CPAP equipment is smaller and easier to use, if she needs it. If she has COPD, depending on how advanced it is, it may help promote oxygen availability and prevent brain cells from suffering anoxia.

Does Mum get up during the night? I have friends and family members who use CPAP and they have mentioned it is a challenge to disconnect the machine when getting up during the night.

I am 72 and just started on a CPAP it made a world of difference in how I feel. If the sleep study shows she has sleep apnea. She could benefit from it. The question is whether she is willing to use the machine. I had sleep apnea all my life. and tried the thearpy at different times. The machines, were noisy cumbersome and tricky to opperate. These new machines are amazing.

I’m a Sleep Technologist and caregiver of 85 yo FIL with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. I performed sleep studies from 1-1/2 year olds to 98 year olds with various co-morbities. My suggestion is to perform an in lab sleep study and caregiver can stay overnight with patient. Monitoring oxygen level is different when sleeping. Diagnostic sleep study (PSG) is performed overnight in sleep lab monitoring brain, heart, O2, ETCO2, body position, sleep apnea. No pain or needles. EEG wires are placed on scalp to monitor sleep stages. Home studies are available but do not monitor heart, brain or leg movements, just gives us an idea if person has sleep apnea. Many people are on CPAP for sleep apnea, which helps oxygenating the body, opening the airway, sleeping and wake without exhaustion, helps the heart run smoothly. It’s not O2, it’s filtrated air. It’s a very informative test. Just like we need food and air to live, we need sleep for our bodies to repair, oxygenate, and overall health. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions! 🥰

I am 60 years old and after several years of denial (my spouse noted that I was waking up in the night, stopping breathing etc) finally agreed to a sleep study-and guess what-I was waking up 49 times per hour!! So sleep apnea can be suggested as an issue when certain co-occurring things are present-such as the patient feeling they don't sleep well, waking up tired, etc. But a sleep study will confirm and it really isn't all that unpleasant, one just has a lot of monitors on. I use the nasal "pillow" type and it's just fine-no more bothersome than an oxygen cannula I'd suspect. Yes, as others have mentioned, apnea can affect the heart. So my humble suggestion is to listen to the doc and arrange for the sleep study-it could make your mother's years a bit easier.....

I wish I could have a answer for you but I don’t. My first thought was why did you switch her heart doctor? Secondly, did you ask the new doctor why he wanted to involve your mom in the sleep study, and why was he recommending this CPAP machine without the results from the sleep study test? I’ve learned the hard way, when your caring for someone who can’t care for themselves, you make yourself question everything anyone suggest doctor or not. Just because they put on a white coat, and hang a stethoscope around their neck, doesn’t mean they know everything. I was fooled by this way too many times, and let my own natural ability and common sense to take over, finally. I had ZERO medical knowledge whatsoever and would take each and every word the doctors or anyone medical would say, prescribe, etc., as Gospel. Until, I was told my child would never get better. Joke on them, and I can assure you they don’t like having questions asked of them. TO BAD. It’s my responsibility to see everything can be done, get done, and researched everything over the last five years. Yes, they were lining their pockets and preventing my child from rehabilitating by medications she was prescribed by people we tend to trust automatically. After assisted titration off several medications, my daughter started thriving to the point of having the ability to walk again. Please don’t be me and start asking the doctor face to face, not over the phone. The expression you see on their face is worth more than you can ever imagine!! Good Luck!!!

You and some of the posters here seem to equate having a sleep test with being fitted for a CPAP machine. Well, it's true the majority are prescribed the machine. But a sleep test is to determine if sleep apnea is present. It's a test. Taking your blood pressure is a test. It's just that taking your blood pressure is a lot quicker and a lot less expensive (and recommended for everyone). Once you get the test results you decide what to do next. Your test could be negative for sleep apnea. As noted, the majority are not negative, but it's possible. On the one hand I think sleep tests are under used. On the other hand, I think they are way too expensive. They wire you up and monitor your sleeping. Why should this cost thousands? There are people who will do it for less in some areas though I can't vouch for them.

Sleep apnea if you have it causes your brain not to receive sufficient oxygen during sleep. You might read up on sleep apnea. The CPAP machine is for treating sleep apnea. Some people have reported success by losing weight or playing a dgiridoo or even just doing neck exercises. The doctor might not even mention these things.

I do know sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, etc. can compromise the heart.

They have made cpap nasals where you do not have to wear the cpap over face and mouth. A lot more comfortable.

At your mom's age, I can understand your concern.