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She broke her femoral neck two weeks ago and was doing amazingly well. Did not need hip replacement just screw. Said she never had pain in the hip but has complained about headaches and some shoulder pain. She is 87. Until a few days ago she was only taking pain meds at night to sleep and was chipper,doing well ini rehab etc. two days ago she complained to the nurse she was sleeping too much. I also noticed she had turned lethargic. Nurse told both of us she had started taking pain meds around the clock. I tried talking to the nurse. This really didn't seem necessary to up the meds". They want her to go home Tuesday and seemed to me they should be weaning her off the meds, not the opposite. Especially since she is not experiencing pain in the hip. The staff seemed clueless and mom resented it. Mom likes Vicodin and would take dad's on occasion. She really got mad at me once for not giving Vicodin to her when I had some left over from dental surgery. Am I the clueless one here? I think mom is just taking it to make the hospital time go faster. It does not seem to be helping on here recovery but actually hindering. Am I being a helicopter daughter or is this STOP.

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Part of this problem is the nursing staff is always too small in hospitals for direct care. The main RN is married to the medicine cart and that is all they do. Plus there isn't enough LPNs so most of the "care" comes from unlicensed people with very little medical knowledge.

When an elder is in the hospital, you really need to be there most of each day to meet their needs and make sure they don't fall, and get something to eat. Trays are taken back to the kitchen staff untouched if the elder is weak or a fussy eater.
However, she will change in the hospital both from the fall and being out of her normal environment. Hospitals have a disorienting effect on the elder. If the hospital is overmedicating her to keep her from demanding the care she needs or wants, that could explain the mood change. Don't be surprised if she starts talking about trips she has taken which she imagined as a result of the drugs. I had this happen with my elderly father when a doctor from the hospital not his doctor allowed him to be sedated because he needed help walking with his walker to the bathroom or to use a bedside commode. Hospitals staff resent the elders who need care, they expect them to be able to walk themselves everywhere and not bother them.
However 90+ seniors need care with everything and this results in them overmedicating them. I had aides joking that my father was eating sugar packets on his breakfast tray after being over medicated.

However, before your mother comes home. Get a plan in place. She may have broken something else if she has pain. Perhaps they only checked her hip. Check her situation out fully.

Second, 48 hours isn't enough time to watch her after a fall. I would have her with a home health aide for a month or so to make sure she can live without help. You don't want her to have another fall. However, once they have a fall, they will have another. Having someone there will give her a chance not to break a hip.

She may need to walk with a walker for support and need a PT from medicare to show her how to use it effectively.

Her home or apartment needs to be checked for safety. Throw rugs and other things which could trip her need to be eliminated. Consider getting a bed rail so she has support getting into and out of bed. Medicare does not pay for this item but without it lots of seniors fall when getting into and out of bed.

This fall is a wake up call, mother is aging and things are happening. She is being to have mobility issues. Perhaps it is arthritis or she has light headed moments when she falls but something is happening. Some medicines can make the elder light headed. There is a reason the elder falls.

Good luck. You are correct that hospitals are not good places for the elderly and especially the fragile elderly.

Even after the home health aide leaves, get a medical alert button on her.
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An excellent surgeon once told me "If an aspirin doesn't handle your pain, you are trying to do too much, too soon." Excellent advice!
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You can't "GET" that doctors or nurses don't get it? They never do get it. They are doing a job and don't care even a little bit about your mother. She is just another number to them. Someone to deal with on their shift. Sad but true. You have to be the one to help your mother. If something sounds wrong it most likely is. They love to sedate patients because it makes them easier to deal with. Again sad but true.
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I agree with Veronica, if she was sitting up and interactive, but now lethargic, I would want her checked for stroke. I would WEAN her off the vicodin carefully and check what other meds she is on. As for Tramadol, "Tramadol is a reuptake inhibitor of norepinephrine and serotonin and a weak μ-opioid receptor agonist" which means it does have an antidepressant effect. It is a scheduled drug, it IS addictive and must be carefully weaned to avoid side effects. When I took it after knee replacement, it would relieve the pain without making me groggy. Ask the MD.
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One thing to remember when it comes to prescription pills, some people have side effects from the *fillers* that are used in the pill.... each pill manufacturer tends to use a different set of fillers, so try to see if you can get the next refill using a different manufacturer, pharmacies can help you with what is available.
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Liz, make sure you know EXACTLY what they are giving your mom in the rehab center. My dad fell and hurt his shoulder at age 87 and was placed in a nursing home for rehab. When he was admitted we told them specifically NOT to give him Ambien. He took that stuff years ago and became addicted. While he was on it he did some very strange things while asleep, including calling the cops to report crimes he was dreaming about. Well, one night in the NH he fell during the night and cut himself badly enough that he ended up in the ER. After that they started giving him Ambien so he'd stay asleep. They did not tell his family, however, so we were shocked when we'd see him during the day and he'd be completely disoriented. It was an Ambien hangover, but we didn't know that since we had told them NO AMBIEN!!! Long story short, it took a couple of weeks before we figured out that they must have been giving him something we didn't know about. Once we found out, we were so angry we pulled bim out of there, took him home and started outpatient rehab for him. Nursing homes and rehab centers are notorious for giving elderly people meds just to keep them docile.
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Are they sending her home with the pain meds? Is your dad still alive or does she live alone?

If there is an addiction issue or she has problems weaning off it once she is home, I think medicare has a home service for the first few weeks a patient is home. Maybe have a behavioral nurse go to the house and work with her to wean her off if she seems to have withdrawal problems once home.
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Sounds like your mother is requesting the meds around the clock, and they are giving them to her - who are they to say if she is truly in pain or not if she says she is?? If you believe your mother has an addiction issue, you should definitely bring it up with the resident doctor and ask that they begin weaning her from them.
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Lizann gave you good advice on what needs to be done at your mom's residence and you need to do it BEFORE she gets home. She might pitch a hissy fit that you did it without her, but it will be done and over. If you wait until she gets home she will fuss and fuss while you are doing the work. Area rugs and throw rugs and even bath mats are a trip hazard. For the bath buy a small rug with a non slip back that is used only when she gets out of the tub or shower, then is hung up. Borrow a walker and walk it through the house. Are all the furniture pathways wide enough for a walker? Does the toilet seat need to be raised - or rather, would a raised toilet seat be more comfortable and easier for your Mom to use. Does she ever climb on a step stool to reach things in a cabinet? Things need to be moved for easier access. Even closet rods might need to be changed so there is no stretching. Medical professionals and nursing homes do want their residents to get well, but they also are aware of patients complaining about being in pain and not being helped with medication. It would be ideal if you could have someone with your Mom for a month, as a precaution, and a great idea if it was someone who is a trained caregiver who can make suggestions for making life easier, or at least safer for your mom. Good luck. It isn't easy having someone you don't know living in the house. And, if you do have someone there, be prepared for household supplies and food to be used faster, much faster. Especially cleaning supplies, laundry, room sprays, etc.
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My heart goes out to you. If your mom has the resources, please hire some help from a home health agency. See if doctor can write it up so Medicare pays some of it. Ask your brother to step up and let him know how stressed out you are.
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