Elderly Father COPD and CPAP

I'm hoping for some advice or help. My elderly father is on this cycle where his blood CO2 rises (from not using his machine) and he eventually ends up in the ER via ambulance. Hospital fixes him up basically by forcing him to use a bipap there (with a sitter watching him for a few nights), then physical therapy before he's sent home.

I'm in the midst of one of those cycles now, and I'm completely out of ideas on how to get him to use his CPAP at home. We've tried different masks (I'm having him try a nasal one currently at the PT place), we've tried persuasion, we've tried daily calls to remind him, nothing works. I know the only real solution is for him to get a greater level of care whether it's at home or at a permanent facility (nursing home), but those are slow solutions to realize. He also has an onset of Dementia and has lived with Schizophrenia most of his adult life. So I think he's just flailing at night and is confused. My mother is 85 and really can't babysit him every night, mostly because they sleep in separate parts of the house.

While we seek out a more permanent solution, in the meantime I was hoping for any other technological solutions out there? Some kind of advanced remote monitoring/alarm? Does anyone else have elderly "non-compliant" parents when it comes to CPAP? How did you overcome it?

I am sorry you are going through this.
We naturally want our parents to continue forever; but there is only so much we can do.
Let him know you love him, and keep repeating this every day.
Only the knowledge that he is loved can motivate him to hang in there.
When the struggle becomes too great, the benefit diminishes--then it is his choice.

Depending on the machine, there are phone apps. The app gives a score each night for use, leaking, events, etc. If your father uses the Resmed machines then the phone app is called MyAir... the machine has a cellphone modem that phones in the data after each use, this takes an hour or so after sleep/use to show up.

To set this up take a clear picture of the sticker on the back of the unit... in particular you'll want the serial number on the left and the unit number on the right. For machines other than the Resmed I have no clue.

You have my sympathy, both my parents passed quickly but I also have friends that are struggling with lingering parents. Love them while you can.

So sorry your going through this:(

I have also faced the difficult task of trying to care for an elderly father who suffers from both numerous physical and mental health issues.

I doubt if there is anything that would allow you to monitor dad’s CO2 or O2 in real time outside of a a hospital setting.

It sounds like you’ve done all you can to convince dad to do whats best for his health. Sometimes we have to accept that there is only so much we can do. Hopefully you’ll be able to navigate the incredibly complex medical health system and get your dad good long term care.

Does anyone else have elderly "non-compliant" parents when it comes to CPAP?

Young people of otherwise clear minds also refuse to use CPAP. It's very common.

Don't let it be too hard on your mother or you.