Mom has limited mobility. She was discharged from facility after learning to walk again (fifty feet), but has come home and refuses to move.

Without more information it's hard to give more advice. I agree with some of the others, it sounds like depression. In your profile is says she has depression, anxiety and diabetes but no other medical issues. Is she on any medication for her depression and anxiety already? They might need to be adjusted or she might need to be changed to a different antidepressant. Does she take pain medication? Did she take it in the hospital and has had to stop now that she's at home? She might be in more pain and nobody is willing to see how bad she's hurting? My mom is 76 and has pinched nerves in her lower back and neck. She needs opiate pain medication to be comfortable. It's always a fight with the hospital and nursing home to have them continue these while she's there. Sometimes I have to have her pain Management doctor get involved. Our theory is this: yes we know she may not have long to live and yes we know that opiates may slow down her breathing but we'd rather take that chance then to have her suffer for her remaining years or however long she has left. I closely monitor them and dispense them to her and they are locked up at all times so there are no accidents. Maybe walking is just too difficult for your mom now. I've recently had to accept that my mom may no longer be able to walk very far anymore and I'm moving to make it easier for her to use a wheelchair now.

Please let us know a little more information or an give us an update. Prayers 🙏🙏

Imho, some facilities don't give the patient a fair chance to recover, e.g. "walking fifty feet." They are not ready to be discharged.

You didn’t give her age or overall health. It sounds to me like she’s scared. Do you know how to walk with her, have equipment you need to help and if she falls can you get her up? Try getting a physical therapist to come into your home and work with you both. Her doctor can request and medical/ insurance will cover the cost. She needs to learn more than just walk. She needs to learn to have confidence in herself and in you as her care giver.
good luck
Sabrina

Did she have the option of home health as well?

As others said, it very well could be lingering meds from being in induced coma. Do you have PT and OT coming in to work on her physical therapies? That might help. They can also send a nurse to check on her which would document how she is doing and perhaps talk to doctor about her mental status of crying all the time.

Ask doctor for in home services.

Some people take a while to recover from being in a hospital, having anesthesia, etc. But, you never know. It could be due to any number of things like depression, vitamin deficiency, medication, infection, lingering pain, etc. I'd try to see if her doctor can rule some things out. I'd also consider that it could be cognitive decline. I have observed similar behavior with my LO after she had an injury and recovered. She stopped doing things, refused to go to the bathroom, did't want to leave the house, lost interest in hobbies, stopped watching tv, etc. It wasn't until later, that she was diagnosed with dementia. Although, it looked like she could do things, she really couldn't. Her brain was not allowing her to and she was embarrassed, so she stayed alone in bed. I will add that she was ALSO depressed due to this and once she went on medication, her mood was much better. The dementia progressed, but, she felt better overall.

I hope you can find some answers and something that helps.

Could she be in pain? Sometimes seniors refuse to move because of pain. Fear of falling is also a factor. Is she receiving home care? Have you spoken with the physician for recommendations? If it is okay with the physician, how about giving her a dose of arthritis strength Tylenol prior to ambulation and see if that helps with the tears and refusal to move. Good luck.

Sounds like she has depression that needs to be addressed by her physcician.

Call her doctor for guidance about what to do next, if anything. If she's refusing all types of care/help/medications/exercise, etc., then maybe she's shutting down and ready to die. What does she SAY? What is it she wants? Your profile says she lives with her husband..........is he helping out? Why did rehab release her if she's crying all day long?

If she's seriously depressed, she needs medication to be able to see a future. After my mother was hospitalized twice in 2011 with serious illness, she was very depressed and refusing to eat or leave the house. I called her doctor, explained her behavior, and he immediately prescribed Wellbutrin for depression. It helped enormously, but she was willing to TAKE the medicine.

Wishing you the best of luck.

lilbitpostal,
Your mom is 78, correct?
Anyone who has been anesthetized in a medically induced coma may have quite a long recovery time emotionally and cognitively.
Maybe a year for some?

Patience and learning, techniques and understanding. Just keep asking, and look up videos by Teepa Snow for techniques.

A physical therapist, occupational therapist should be sent to her home. With the current orders to isolate, will this be possible?
She needs more rehab, imo, either in-patient, or out-patient as her health insurance should allow. Call up the doctor in charge.
Did she also have a stroke? (crying) (mobility).

You do need to speak to a professional about this behavior.

How old is she? How was she before all this happened? Maybe she's 'shutting down' because she's DONE with life. That's not fun to deal with, but it's not uncommon.

Once you've ascertained her baseline health--move with that. Maybe she's ready for Hospice, or perhaps at this stage, just palliative care.

I think EVERYBODY is depressed and anxious these days, and I wouldn't blame her for 'giving up'. Just make sure that this dynamic is coming from a person who is equipped to make these decisions. And if she's not, who is POA and can they make they decisions the way she'd want.

It sounds like your mother has completely shut down She may still not be feeling 100%. You don’t say how old she is or whether she has other health or mental issues besides the pneumonia. Has she always been contrary and stubborn?

Do you have a home health nurse coming to visit? If so, speak to them about your mother’s behaviors. If not, call her doctor.