I used to worry about a relative who refused to go to AL, lived alone, wouldn't use her walker, and had fallen several times. What I finally realized is that I could NOT prevent her falling. She fell when she was just a few feet away from someone visiting and they could not get to her to prevent it from happening. Short of having someone shadowing her 24/7 and staying awake all night to be available to help her to and from the bathroom for the multiple trips, falls cannot be 100% prevented. Removing throw rugs and decluttering a house helps tremendously, BUT my relative refused to give up her rugs! I even saw her slip and almost fall on one and she knew I saw her and still refused to give up the rugs. She even climbed on a stool a few times while she was disabled enough to require the use of a walker!
I finally put it in God's hands.
You can lessen the chances, but you cannot 100% prevent the falls.
Stop being afraid she might fall again, she will fall again. Figure out what you can do to reduce the risk. Did an occupational therapist visit the home before she was discharged? If not, get that arranged for recommendations on what can be done to reduce the risk.
She may have hit a plateau and Medicare won't pay for more therapy. You can request home therapy. They will evaluate ur or her home and tell you what changes could be made. Grandmom may never get better. Maybe an AL is in her future.
We did everything right - and she still managed to slip off the bed and hip dislocation. There's only so much that you can do. We took rugs up, had rails near bed and all over the bathroom. Keep hallways clear - you name it, we did it. These is no way to follow a person around constantly and no way to constantly be on guard about watching them every minute.
My mother has fallen 40x that we know of while living in Assisted Living & now Memory Care. Every precaution known to man has been taken, short of tying her to the bed. She even has bed & chair alarms and STILL falls. There is no real way to prevent falls, I know.........I took a bad fall yesterday by my front door where there was black ice I didn't see. Accidents happen no matter what we do, you are right.
Nurses can cope with a few tricks. So can you ! 8-) 1. Remove all rugs and mats and anything she can slip on. 2. Paint every wall WHITE and outline boundaries in BLACK of objects she may bump against (like the sink). So they are clearly visible day or night, light or dark. 3. Install hand-rails so she always has something to grasp when she walks. 4. Install a ramp so she does not have to climb steps. There may be some volunteer at CHURCH who may do this for free. 5. Be sure NEVER to leave her alone, day or night. You will have to sleep on a sofa a few feet away from her bed. And remain ALERT at night. 6. Hold her hand whenever she needs to use the bathroom. 7. Buy a BED-PAN and coax her to use it instead if she is too wobbly. 7. Diapers for seniors may be needed. 8. Buy lots of thick towels. Cover the mattress, sofa, chair, wheelchair and anywhere else she may sit. Towels are easier to wash. 9. Keep a POO-PAIL just for washing her underwear and towels. IMMEDIATELY soak in hot water, rinse, wash with soap and dry. Best Luck !
Unfortunately, falls become a fact of life as we age, even though we can try to prevent them, and minimize the damage if a fall occurs. (I almost fell off a ladder yesterday.)
After my father fell twice, we made a lot of changes, not just to the house.
I got a Medic Alert pendant, after researching and interviewing various candidates. We bought a lock box, had it screwed into the stud on the outside front door, and put a key to the front door in. When Dad did need help, EMS could get in well before I could drive out to let them in. Either Dad or the Medic Alert monitors called me, or called EMS directly. Or neighbors could get in and stay with him as well until first responders arrived. .
We searched at Home Depot for padding for his walker; Dad, being a craftsman, decided he wanted to pad the legs of his walker with foam wraps used in plumbing applications. (I would probably have used either quilt batting or foam batting in strips, wrapped and secured around each leg.
If/when he fell, he would fall on padded legs as opposed to the harder steel or aluminum (or whatever).
He rearranged his living room so that he had either grabbing devices or falling devices, so if he began to go down, he could hold onto a chair and break the impact of the fall.
Rugs can be removed as well as they're slip and fall hazards.
I would do that, recognize that falls are a fact of life, but minimize the damage they can do.
If you need guidance on any issues, especially finding a good Medic Alert company, just post back.
I finally put it in God's hands.
You can lessen the chances, but you cannot 100% prevent the falls.
1. Remove all rugs and mats and anything she can slip on.
2. Paint every wall WHITE and outline boundaries in BLACK of objects she may bump against (like the sink). So they are clearly visible day or night, light or dark.
3. Install hand-rails so she always has something to grasp when she walks.
4. Install a ramp so she does not have to climb steps. There may be some volunteer at CHURCH who may do this for free.
5. Be sure NEVER to leave her alone, day or night. You will have to sleep on a sofa a few feet away from her bed. And remain ALERT at night.
6. Hold her hand whenever she needs to use the bathroom.
7. Buy a BED-PAN and coax her to use it instead if she is too wobbly.
7. Diapers for seniors may be needed.
8. Buy lots of thick towels. Cover the mattress, sofa, chair, wheelchair and anywhere else she may sit. Towels are easier to wash.
9. Keep a POO-PAIL just for washing her underwear and towels. IMMEDIATELY soak in hot water, rinse, wash with soap and dry.
Best Luck !
It would be easier for her to go to a nursing home if THAT MUCH work has to be done to keep an elder at home.
After my father fell twice, we made a lot of changes, not just to the house.
I got a Medic Alert pendant, after researching and interviewing various candidates. We bought a lock box, had it screwed into the stud on the outside front door, and put a key to the front door in. When Dad did need help, EMS could get in well before I could drive out to let them in. Either Dad or the Medic Alert monitors called me, or called EMS directly. Or neighbors could get in and stay with him as well until first responders arrived. .
We searched at Home Depot for padding for his walker; Dad, being a craftsman, decided he wanted to pad the legs of his walker with foam wraps used in plumbing applications. (I would probably have used either quilt batting or foam batting in strips, wrapped and secured around each leg.
If/when he fell, he would fall on padded legs as opposed to the harder steel or aluminum (or whatever).
He rearranged his living room so that he had either grabbing devices or falling devices, so if he began to go down, he could hold onto a chair and break the impact of the fall.
Rugs can be removed as well as they're slip and fall hazards.
I would do that, recognize that falls are a fact of life, but minimize the damage they can do.
If you need guidance on any issues, especially finding a good Medic Alert company, just post back.