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She had no issues previous to the fall. Was able to get up walk to bathroom, etc.
But now, even with skilled nursing assistance, she gets panicked when going from sitting to standing or vice versa. It has greatly affected her quality of life and left her mostly bed bound.
She suffers from dementia and Parkinson’s-like tremors (though not Parkinson’s). But she is so panicked that she can’t walk, can’t use the toilet herself, and is growing weaker due to the lack of exercise. Prior to the fall, she could walk 1/2 mile without stopping.
Thanks for any advice. We are not against drugs but don’t want to zombieify her.

Is she on a med ? A med for depression is often given to calm patients with dementia . Will she participate in PT? I would have PT help her learn to self propel in a wheelchair .

Sometimes there is an event that happens that results in a big change in baseline that they never recover from , sadly . What if she was given a wheelchair and she could self propel in it using her feet . She may be less anxious , but can still get around a bit on her own . She can have help with transfers .

I’d work on having her anxiety relieved in general and not so much in trying to get her to walk .
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Reply to waytomisery
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My mother pretty much stopped walking unassisted the day she went into a care home. She was about to turn 84. Prior to that she lived alone, drove and did all her own household chores, shopping, etc. She now uses a wheelchair and has finally stopped mentioning transitioning to a walker. I let her keep her cane by her bed, but it's just for looks now. She had the walker moved to her closet. It gives her peace knowing it is there. There comes a time when they are failing and part of that is losing abilities they recently had.
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Reply to JustAnon
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The falls sadly become inevitable. My dad had so many, some with me literally right next to him. Of course they cause a lack of confidence, dementia or not. Ask her doctor for approval for physical therapy, if only for evaluation and training to use the most appropriate aid to get around. That might be a rollator or learning to safely make transfers, maybe using a wheelchair. Staying in bed will lead to a load of other issues, so avoid it if at all possible
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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There comes a time when an elder with dementia and fear/anxiety of this magnitude must go into a wheelchair full time. My mother was 92 when that day came, after taking 50 falls by then. Dementia ruins the quality 9f life anyway, so one more thing isn't going to matter much. At least you will get rid of her crippling fear w/o the need for drugs, think of it that way.

It sounds like mom is already in Skilled Nursing care. Have physical therapy teach her how to "walk" with her legs in the wheelchair and move herself around that way. Mom was able to hoist herself on and off the toilet, but help was there for her 24/7 at the Memory Care.

Really, at this stage of life, you just want mom to be relaxed and as comfortable as possible. My mother lived to 95 even with the wheelchair and advanced dementia. PT becomes useless anyway as dementia progresses and they cannot follow instructions.

Best of luck to you.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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She will continue to lose strength if she does not walk at all.
However, she should NOT attempt to walk without mobility aids. She is still at high risk for falling again - and next time could result in a broken hip, broken arm, concussion,...it could be bad!
PLEASE get her a walker or a wheelchair to assist her in getting around. Make sure to remove trip hazards, such as area rugs.
Resist the temptation to assist her by holding on to her. You could both go down.

She needs assistance with toileting. Perhaps a raised seat with arms over the toilet to help her getting up. Someone needs to help with wiping, pulling her up, and pulling on her pants. If it becomes too dangerous for her to go to the toilet, then it will be time for incontinence briefs. In her condition, she will be incontinent soon enough anyway, if she is not already there.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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