Another fall and I'm angry! What can I do?
Sorry I'm posting again. All the topics are different, so I hope it's ok.
I'm so frustrated! About 2 a.m. l knew Mom was in the bathroom. I was wide awake but didn't hear her go in. I went by the back door to let the cat in and I hear BOOM!
I went running in and my son came flying up the stairs, it was so loud!
My stomach's already in a knot. When I got to her she was sitting on the floor, in front of the bedroom door naked from the waist down. She had her right foot in her pj bottoms. No depends nor regular underwear. Those weren't the pjs she was wearing when she went to bed. She was wearing a clean depends at bedtime too.
Figured she peed through and went to change. She usually doesn't pee fully in her pull ups, there more for leakage.
I pulled her PJs up and help my son get her up. I can't pick her up alone. And she doesn't have the strength in her legs to help.
We got her in bed and asked what happened. She said she went to bathroom yada yada yada.....but as she was talking her lips were...weird. She even asked if she was talking funny. She said she felt like she was.
I slept in her recliner next to her bed. She goes to PCP at 11 this morning anyway
I was fuming, she just don't listen! She's supposed to use her walker all the time. Some mornings I get up and she's on the toilet crying because She can't get up. No walker in there.
Its not that she forget to use it either.
She walks around my house like an eleven month old baby just learning how to walk, yet not having mastered balance . Or better yet, a drunk.
I constantly have a knot in my stomach cause she just gets up and goes, weaving , bouncing off walls, grabbing for air, leaning backwards, sideways, over face down and now her knees just spontaneously give out!
No one took me seriously when I told them about her short term memory issues. Although I don't think she forgets the walker.
Aside from wrapping her in bubble wrap, what can I do?
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I called Medicare and chose a new advantage plan. It will kick in July 1st.
The Medicare rep said to get some zip codes further out from my area to find someone who has their contract for transport wheelchair. Thanks to Barb, I know how to do that myself.
I'm so tired. I went to hospital this morning. Talked to hospitalist, he was puzzled about her having a stroke on the preventative meds. I found that strange. (That he was puzzled) I reminded him about her blocked corrotids, with the plaque shooting up to her brain, he just blew that it off. Neurologist and vascular surgeon will be there tomorrow. I'll deal with them for the big stuff.
I left the hospital around 12:30 pm. Went home to take care of nephew, cause DH had a Dr appointment to get results of pet scan. He found out he now has spots on his lung and something in the area he had his cancer removed last year. He had rectal cancer. Went through chemo and radiation, then surgery in Nov 2017. Great...
Anyway, I fed nephew lunch, then drove 3 hours to give him back to my brother.
On the way home, Mom called me crying. She wants to come home. Grrrrr! Plus I broke a nail and my cat sprained his paw.....I'm done!!!!!
It's sounds like you had a wonderful time growing up.
Ugh, I started so many things I thought would be great, only to find out it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Thanks for the info on home health care. I'm calling Medicare now. I don't want her stuck with bills.
I think I would call Medicare directly and raise this issue, probably the sooner the better to ensure there's no gap in coverage.
Yes, she can go outside during home rehab. Dad always insisted on this, so his physical therapist would walk with him up and down the street, especially down to the beach, so he could take longer walks, and gain the benefit of the fresh air.
As to your nephew, great idea to help him learn gardening basics. Is there any room for more planting at his home? There are some plants that are considered good for "children's gardens."
Years ago when I was teaching adult ed classes, I approached one of the local communities about teaching children's gardening. I developed a work scope, class schedule, supplies list, then learned that the coordinator had decided a master gardener was needed to teach children, so I was out.
Dad grew up on a farm; he and Mom gardened for years, as did I, but I didn't have the certificate of a master gardener. I wasn't hurt or annoyed, just amused. And after I thought about my having to bring in all the supplies, I was glad the job fell through. Hauling dirt, pots, plants and more for every class would have "grown old" quickly.
I bought some seeds, pots, soil, gloves and a little shovel. I'm going to let him fill a pot with dirt and plant the seeds. That way, he can take it home to put on his window sill, and water. Hopefully something will grow.
I'm going to be adding fertilized soil and food to the mix. I grabbed him a Grumpy ( character from the 7 dwarfs ) pot to put the real pot in.
So darn cute.
I'll do that this morning before I go to the hospital to see Mom. I will have to cut his visit short though, he's too young to stay occupied at hospital for the length of time I stay with her.
Do you know if Medicare will kick in as Mom's primary insurance, after her Medicare advantage plan has been dropped?
We are now outside their coverage area, being in a different state. We had an appointment with the office of Aging to choose a plan that covers this area. That's where we were off to yesterday when she couldn't function.
I want her to be moved to rehab this time. Her PCP wants her to get therapy. Last time, after the first stroke, the rehab wouldn't take her because of her coverage.
What does he want to plant?
Hugs and Hope for the Best to you and your Mom.
Office of the aging needs a copy too. I called and will get a new appointment with them.
I'm waiting for the social worker to get info on POA.
As for the chair, her PCP's office is calling around looking for a resource. Thank you shb1964, I will look into my area and see if that's an option.
Mom's glucose was 51. Wow that might have been the problem. Anyway, she's fine now, lucid and joking.
Barb, your hugs are the best! 💕
GA, I'm going home to take my nephew to the store for seeds. He wants to grow flowers! Gardening for therapy! 🌞
I'll be thinking of you and your mother and hoping for the best. Please update us when you feel up to it.
I think that probably was the cause - too much political stress. I told my friends "Trump sent me to the ER!"
GardenArtist, tomorrow I'll make some calls. Thanks for the help.
What happened when you had a stroke? We're you alone?
You may have to check in a wider range; expand to hospitals outside of your immediate area. In the past, wheelchairs and things like that were delivered; we never picked them up. So a less local DME might be an option.
I don't recall - did you get a script for the chair? If so, the doctor who wrote the script might have someone on staff (bookkeeper or biller ) who could help you find a source.
Another potential option is to call local rehab facilities, nursing homes or dedicated rehab w/o in-house placement, and ask for recommendations for a DME supplier.
As to the neuropathy, try decreasing sugar and processed foods, including bleached flour, canned food with salt added, etc. I don't know if it would help when diabetes is already present, but it did help with the neuropathic type tingling I had after my stroke. I know of others who've recommended and used this same food change method, including outdoorsy types who've lowered their levels with purer foods.
I was on the phone with my brother yesterday, we weighed the pros and cons of a scooter. Seems it would be more trouble then it's worth. Especially since we live in the woods with dirt and gravel roads. She only goes to Walmart, food store and Dr. Stores have scooters and the chair is perfect for Dr visits.
I saw chairs on Amazon starting at $83.00 bucks! But since that would be her main ride, when we're out, I'll invest in a more comfy one at those prices!
I'm definitely picking up a baby monitor today after I get my nephew. Great idea! Also my brother has a bedside commode that also goes over the toilet. She needs the arm supports to get back up. But I will use it with the pot, by her bed at night, so she doesn't have to come out of her room.
And yes, she has open back slippers, those have got to go. If she sh*ts on the commode lid at 2 am, I'm moving out! She can have the house, my son and I'll throw in my hubby...for good measure!
Ok, I'm off to take this 3 hr journey to get the lad. Have a great day guys.
We know Mom has diabetic nerve damage. She has shooting, stabbing pain and restless leg. The worst is from the knees down. Her thigh musles constantly ache as well as her knee caps. Now they just give out and she will collapse.
Dr put her on neorontin before the stroke. And the hospialist upped it to 200 mg 3x daily. But it doesn't seem to work.
There's so much conflicting opinions about the neorontin. The ER Dr that saw her right before the stroke said to take her off it. Then after stroke, hospitalist upped it and her PCP also agreed with the adjustment, add it's also for seizure prevention. Since a seizure preceeded the stroke, it stays.
PCP ordered Doppler series testing. And we see the vascular surgeon this week, for pre surgery exam. The VS emailed PCP to inform her Moms corrotids (spelling?) Are both 70 percent blocked. Not 70/30 like earlier test review reported.
When I picked her up 2 months ago, there was so much wrong with her. She hadn't been to her own Dr in so long that she had insulin from 2015! Since this was a new Dr and mer medical records were so old and illnesses so new, we had to start addressing the biggest problems first, which were, depression, anxiety, UTI and diabetes.
It's horrible of me to say but her lack of hygiene and condition of her house was shocking! I just grabbed her, some personal papers, pics and meds, gave the bldg manager $500.00 bucks and said, " throw everything out."
So as it stands, we're chipping away at the stone. She was finally given some strong pain meds that offers some relief. Thank God.
At 9 am this morning I'm going to meet my brother and bring my 6 yr old nephew here for a week or two. He's one of the children who lost his Mom last August. My Mom is floating on air in anticipation of seeing her baby. Lol. I, on the other hand, just might go insane! 😩
Thank you for asking, 💚
Sorry to read about your Mom’s episode.
I can identify with your belief that your Mom is not forgetting her walker. My Mom’s personality before Dementia was very stubborn and defiant. When Mom began refusing to use her walker she was very good at covering up that she was actually forgetting to use her walker.
Due to the fact that your Mom is having memory issues you may really want to consider that she IS forgetting to use her walker.
Good luck getting this all figured out!
www.walmart.com/ip/Drive-Medical-Silver-Sport-1-Wheelchair-with-Full-Arms-and-Swing-away-Removable-Footrest/15423452
Pepsee, you may live in an area which requires competitive bidding. Use the above Medicare link to see if you can find a supplier in your area.
I think that one or both of our wheelchairs also might have been ordered by rehab facilities.