My father went from getting around with a walker to not even being able to stand up. What would cause this overnight?

My relative, who is 93, and who broke a hip 1 1/2 yrs ago, uses a walker, and is subject to falls. She falls while reaching up, reaching into the closet, trying to pick things off the floor, or trying to walk without the walker. There have been no falls since she is forbidden from bending, stooping, lifting, reaching, picking things up off the floor, trying to use the stove, using the microwave, opening/closing the windor or turning off the fan from the back. She has caregivers that can do these things for her. She gets her noon meal delivered, and I/caregiver get her breakfast and supper. If she is alone for a meal, I leave a sandwich, milk, and fruit in the fridge. Just so she doesn't have to reach for something. She does not feel restricted. There are tables on both sides of her chair so she can keep things she uses daily. She fell once reaching up into the closet to get a robe. We now keep a robe on her dresser so she can just get it, place it on her walker (which has a tray), and take it to her bed, to sit down and put it on.

My first guess would be that this condiition was caused by an Ischemic Stroke. Only way to tell is with an MRI, not a CT Scan. Only an MRI would show the whiteouts, indicative of a stroke.
If the MRI shows no damage to the left or the right side, l then would order a blood work panel. Balance training at a local PT office would help.\\ Age: ?
Daily Routine? (Reading materials, TV, Pet Care) Meals containing enough protein? At this time, I would rule out Dementia.

cgraves,
Father had the same issue. One day the walker was fin and the next we were ordering a wheel chair through Medicare. He was one month in the wheel chair and got pissed and started using the walker again. Falling while using a walker is often a balance thing. It is also, quite common, that he was never trained properly in the walkers us. Most Medicare/Medicaid plans allow for physical therapy. Look into this. What causes this, I don't know. It is old age, but with my Dad there was a better outcome with therapy and teaching and he is out of the wheel chair using his 'pusher'. He is very weak and can't go far, but...
Hang in there and see what transpires.

Thanks for all of your responses...In the time since he was admitted to a hosptial thinking it was a stroke but concluded it was not..He went through therapy and was walking back on a walker, although not as good..Then he went to a nursing home to get more therapy until he could get better so we could bring him home..He has been there for the past three weeks and is worse for the wear.. I dont' know if we can ever bring him home but that is our goal..My personal conclusion is dementia is setting in and he forgets how to ...I am at the nursing home for 5 to 6 hours a day and it is very discouraging. It is supposed to be the best in town but I told my children do not ever put me in one..So many of the residents look like they have lost the will to live..Very sad!

There are lots of possibilities but one could be he had a stroke there are 4 ways of checking for possible stroke or blod clot
1 ask him to smile if one side droups,
2 stick out his tongue if rolls to one side or the other
3 ask him to repeat a sentence or phrase
4 have him raise his arms in the air see if both go up equilly
5 have him grasp both hand squise and while laying in bed push or lift his legs
if any or more that one occures contact your physician
go to internet and look for signs of a stroke this is what you'll find
I had friend who had mini strokes and within short time everything seemed fine but as the strokes continued the effects stayed longer, Weakness can appear in one side or the other depending on where the stroke appeared. When a stroke appears most say take asprin right away and call for transport to hospital where medication can be given that will work during the first hour. Good luck.

Sometimes it just happens my MIL was driving and liveing alone and doing all her ADL and after I day in the hospital never walked again-in her case she wanted to be waited on hand and foot like her parents before her and my husband gave up doing anything for himself after I retired.

This same thing happened to my mom at 87. She was walking one day and was in a wheelchair the next. To make a long story short, she was impacted. After a week of enemas, and harsh laxatives prescriped by the doctor, she finally was going to bathroom normally, and she could walk again. The geriatric doctor told me that constipation can definitely cause an elderly person to not be able to walk. I didn't believe him at first, but it certainly was the case with Mom. As soon as we got that problem fixed, she was walking with her walker once again, and has been ever since. I'm sure there are tons of reasons why someone is no longer mobile, but just sharing my case.