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96 YO Mother fall questions
Hello and thank you for reading this message. Mom is in unusually good shape for her age. She's had a few falls over the last five years but has been very fortunate to really only have had some stitches and a couple bruises. She has started to walk with a cane but mostly walks around the house holding on to furniture, walls etc. Most of the house (she lives alone in her home), has no steps or tripping hazards. She stills drives regularly to PT, hairdresser and local store. She's been taking supplements for decades and takes BP and Thyroid meds for about ten years. She has a pacemaker. She cooks and eats a healthy diet. She had a minor stroke over ten years ago with no after effects. She's recently had issues with itching and dry skin and scalp. All in all she's amazing. A couple days ago she called and asked my wife and I to come help her get up from a fall in her kitchen.
We found her sitting on a hard tiled floor without any apparent injuries. There was a chair knocked over and some other things on the floor as she appeared to have been reaching for things. She weighs 97 lbs and it took all had to get her up without hurting her. I asked her what happened and she said she was standing at the table reading the mail and suddenly lost her balance and went straight down without hitting her head or anything else but she couldn't pick her self up. Most of the house is carpeted and a lot has throw rugs. She refuses to remove them. I think she likes the extra padding because she's fallen without having to tell us. I took the opportunity to address a number of falling while alone issues for the hundredth time. In the past I've noticed her balance has been getting worse and she refuses to use on of the several walkers around the house. I could go on about her risky lifestyle but why? Any suggestions to get her to carry one of the many phones at all times? And when should she be in assisted living before she falls and can't get up until I discover her unable to call for help?
Thanks again for reading.
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@woojr concern about driving, not only for her safety, but the safety of others…people may have great spirit, be lovable—just no longer safe driving. A hard transition but necessary
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1 Reaction@woojr , neuropathy can cause skin to itch. There are medications that treat it, if that’s what it is. You might ask about Gabapentin.
And, I’d seek legal advice about obtaining Guardianship. People who are a danger to themselves or others are subject to court intervention to gain legal control of their activities. For their protection and the public.
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1 Reaction@celia16 I was on Gabapentin for a short time post spine surgery. I'll mention it to the dermatologist tomorrow. Coincidentally I have my routine six month appointment with the same group. I got the impression the PCP wasn't keen on too many meds mainly because of her advanced age.
I just saw mom a couple hours ago and I was thinking about Guardianship going into the visit. She was much better today. We're trying to simplify her understanding of medication taking and reducing her risk of dehydration. She gives all the right answers but she's somehow getting foods with excessive sodium like canned vegetables which uses in soups. We removed a few cans and she thanked us and was unusually cooperative. We also set up using purified bottled water with a schedule. It seems she's been drinking too much water after taking her BP meds. Basically washing the pills out of her system. She's also been taking some fluids she found from online sources that have too much sugar and unknowns.
Finally, she was walking well and was standing while making soup. The kitchen was clean and her appetite was very good. I'll follow up later, thanks for your suggestions.
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1 Reaction@woojr Stepping in for a moment here - you talked about your Mom seeming better today, and appearing to follow your discussion.
When we were dealing with cognitive impairment with my father-in-law, the most helpful thing we found was concise written explanations that he could read over and over. For example, he had a colostomy, and every time red appeared in the bag he thought he was bleeding to death. His doctor provided a one page explanation of what things might cause changes in his stool - tomatoes, beets, etc. Reading that gave him great comfort, whereas telling him the same thing was met with disbelief.
With my Mom, passage of time became an issue after a stroke. We had to arrange her meds around meal times vs clock times. The same with her nebulizer. So instead of "AM pills at 9" it was "AM pills right after breakfast, followed by your nebulizer, then drink water." We also had to change the size of her water cup because she was determined to drink 3 covered cups per day, but each one was 24oz - and she was washing out her meds as well. We switched to a new 16 oz covered cup - problem solved.
What we learned was that every solution worked "for now" then we had to adjust again. The palliative care doctor introduced us to the term "slippery slope" and the need for constant flexibility. I feel, sadly, that you may be at the top of the slippery slope with your Mom - please know that many of us have been there and it is hard. Hugs!