Last week my nearly 91 year old mother was dropped by a CNA during a transfer from the bed to wheelchair. This was strictly against protocol as she was only supposed to be lifted with a Hoyer lift. Both her femur bones were fractured.
The worker was let go that day. My mother had surgery on the leg that did not have an existing knee replacement. She was released from the hospital today. I will go to the facility tomorrow. She will require PT which she generally likes if she has energy for it.
It has been so hard to process this happening. She was not mobile with her legs but she had learned to navigate the wheelchair in the facility. Now I wonder if she will regain that. The femur in one leg will have to heal on its own if possible..I am just putting this out there for any thoughts on the healing of fractured femurs or any other thoughts. Prior to this unfortunate incident I have felt her care in this facility was decent. I am at least comforted with the taking of responsibility and stating the truth on their part which they probably would have had to do. I imagine the hospital wanted exact facts.
Clarify with the DON how mom's pain meds are ordered by the Doctor.
Are they scheduled (like every 3 hours) OR PRN (at patient's request.
After many, many, MANY months of going round and round with both my mom's pain and anxiety meds, I discovered they were both "PRN". Meaning that the nurse would come in and ask my mom "Flo, are you in pain/anxious?". Being a good girl, my mom would say "no, I'm fine".
My poor SIL would show up 15 minutes later and find mom writhing in pain or wringing her hands in panic.
It took a LOT of time to figure this out. So ask to talk to the DON and look at the orders.
We got mom on scheduled pain AND anxity meds with PRN extras if she had breakthough of either.
Don't take anyone's word for it. Ask to see the orders. I got shined on a lot at the beginning
NH's live in fear of getting accused of over-medicating their patients.
Thanks for the update!
I laughed out loud @ your DH using accents when reading to your mom! How fun is that? :)
Tomorrow I will go to SN and do my best to explain what I can. My mother has this tremendous desire to live no matter the physical circumstances. However she does not want to be hospitalized again and the doctor discussed how futile this will be. She does not like the catheter. If she goes off it the wound will grow worse. If she stays on it she will encounter UTI's.
I guess I am asking if anyone has advice for me. She has been put on palliative care twice in the past year only to be removed from it as she was doing well. However that was before she had this serious a bedsore. I don't know how to tell her she is close to dying. I appreciate any advice.
When I took my father to the ER back in 2015, they told me his brain tumor had grown and they could do nothing for him at that point; no drugs, no surgery; that hospice was the only 'answer' for him. It was up to me to talk to him. I took a deep breath and went into the room; he knew he had a brain tumor; same as your mom knows she has a very bad infection going on in her body. I told dad his tumor grew & worsened, and that there wasn't any medication or surgery that could help him at his advanced age. He said "Nothing at all?" I said no and my eyes welled up. His did too. I told him that we could call hospice in to help him stay comfortable, but that it did NOT mean he'd pass away immediately; that he could easily live another year or MORE under their care. He was pretty stoic about the whole thing, and agreed to hospice care at the ALF. But I felt that he gave up then, after fighting very hard for 11 months prior (after breaking his hip and having a lot of PT/OT etc). He got a UTI a short while later, got into his bed and passed away 19 days later, which I felt was God being very merciful to all of us.
I did the best I could telling him the truth of what was happening with his health; what else could I do? I think you are in the same position, and I'm sorry you are faced with this RD. After I broke the news to dad, he thanked me for all I'd done for him, and told me I was a good daughter, which was the first & only time I'd heard such words in 58 years of life.
Sending you a big hug and many prayers for you and your mom that you can find acceptance for the unfortunate turn of events.
Do you think the doctor should explain this to mom, not you?
I don't think I could do this.
May The Lord be merciful.
Continued prayers for her and you.