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My mum has severe dementia, she doesnt seem to settle at night. She gets out of bed , walks to the door (it has a stair gate across), stays for a moment , walks back to the bed, gets into bed , then immediately gets out of bed and repeats the pattern for hours on end. Eventually at some point she falls over asleep ,standing or sitting , but never laying down. She suffers from swollen legs so its important to raise them at some stage during the 24hrs of a day. I have bought a low profiling bed that I can lower to the ground. She would not be able to stand up from this so I am hoping she will not be able to get up and in turn not fall over at night. Is this cruel? or considered restraining?
many thanks in advance for any replies.

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Perhaps you should ask her physician about a mild (or not so mild) sedative/ sleep aid you can give her before she goes to bed.
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My mom has dementia and isn't able to get herself up but she fell once trying. She now has a hospital bed with railings. She was up and down at night for over 5 years. Just when i was at my breaking point she got a new doc who put her on seroquel 6 wks ago. She sleeps at least 6 straight hours at night now. I was seriously questioning if i would be able to continue caring for her at home. It's much better most nights now.
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No, it is not cruel, a low platform bed saves her from a fall. If she rolls out, she is only a few inches from the floor/carpet. We got mom an adjustable bed, so she can raise her head (she has CHF) or feet or both. It also eliminated her back pain so she sleeps better.
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My mom escaped from her board and care early morning...That wasn't good. She didin't get hurt and I actually think she knew exactly what she did as she was laughing the whole tome I had her with me after that.
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Sleep aides and tranquilizers can make a bad situation worse; remember that even over the counter benign drugs can have devastating effects on the elderly.
Your mother's restlessness at night isn't uncommon.In fact it's the reason care facilities for those with dementia and alzheimers have "overnight/awake" staff.
First,baby proof the room.No sharp edges on furniture and the like.No rugs that might trip the wanderer.No drugs,utensils or other potential dangers within the area. Be sure to lock your ( home) doors.I use dead bolts placed high up and out of reach on doors that are easily accessible.
I doubt the baby gate will suffice a a deterant to wander for very long.
I use motion sensor alerts; LED lights that flash,audio alerts at night.
Inexpensive, under $20 dollars.
Try a snack: a toast or warm milk before bed.
Keep her awake and no dozing during the day.
A night light makes the dark less frightening, helps orient and calm the confused occupant of the room.
A soft throw to cuddle under.Some people use teddy bears or other stuff toys.
Routine though is key.
Do the same thing every night before bed.
Last but not least: Check for wet or soil diapers.This a another common cause for wandering.If the person is wet or soiled it's uncomfortable. They wake up and wander....not knowing where or why.
Hope this helps.
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Thank you for all your kind answers, I leave a small light on, I have 2 video monitors, the room is "baby" proofed, the stair gate is sufficient as it is hung high on the door , she cant get over it , and she cant get under it. I didnt really want to medicate her at night as she is on so many tablets already. I will talk to her doctor.
The bed I have coming tomorrow is a "home" hospital bed , It has rails but I am concerned she will hurt herself trying to get out, so at the moment I will leave them down . I will also raise her head abit as she has a spinal condition which may be giving her discomfort at night .
She is unable to have any kind of conversation. The only thing she says everyday is "I love you".
Thank you all for your advice , its nice to "talk" to other people about issues.
lisa
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Try not thinking about the anxiety/sleep medicine as a bad thing...Don't you think your Mom would like to feel relaxed enough to get a good nights sleep...She doesn't understand why this anxiety his happening to her...A good nights sleep would be beneficial for both of you...
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Seroquel was a life saver for us. Try it, you can always stop it if you don't like it.
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Try a bed alarm with a sensor pad. Either with cords or cordless, an audible alarm or flashing light, you will know when your mother is sitting up if you put the pressure-sensitive pad under her shoulders. When she sits up, the alert will occur and you can assist her knowing that she means to leave the bed. Val-U-Care is a source for every kind of mobility monitoring.
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I need sleep too, I cant be being woken up /disturbed every 5 minutes , which is how often she does her getting up routine.
The adjustable bed seems to have worked , mum has stayed in bed all night for the past 2 nights. I think with the head and legs raised it is much more comfortable for her . I dont have the rails up but I do lower the bed so its harder for her to get out ( she has back and leg problems).
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
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Just to let everyone know, I've just had 5 nights of continuous sleep. The bed must be more comfortable for her , as she can get out of it if she tried. I know tomorrow may bring another problem , but today I feel I have accomplished something good for the both of us.
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