My husband has been bed bound for about 8 months now. He does not want to get out of bed. What can happen and how soon if he doesn't try?

My Mom started out like that. In bed, out to potty then back in bed.

Over time - she became 100% bedbound. Never gets out of bed. It's been almost a year that way... More strokes, more paralysis.

Wears pads/diapers which I have to change and clean her. I wash her, dress her, feed her, do everything for her. She can no longer sit up, either.

You can have his Doctor send out a Physical Therapist to your home. They will work with him and teach him leg exercises, etc. They can help him learn easier ways to get out of bed.

The end result if they are not able to get out of bed ... a Hoyer Lift has to be used to lift them up. And life gets much more complicated for everyone. Difficult if not impossible to get to a Doctor, requires much more assistance and supervision. Worries about skin shearing, bed sores etc. Endless worries, believe me. Much lifting, too.

I hope your husband continues to get up to go to the bathroom, because it is extremely difficult to take care of a bedbound person by yourself.

Please encourage him in any way possible to keep moving, keep sitting up, keep getting out of bed.

My Mom doesn't seem to be able to get any stronger and I'm losing hope day by day. Being bedbound for a long time causes much emotional and physical stress for all.

According to your profile, you say your husband is under hospice care. As you know to qualify for hospice, the Dr. has to believe that your husband will be dead in 6 months. Now that doesn't mean that he will be dead in that time frame of course, and as long as he continues to decline hospice will keep him under their care.
My husband who was completely bedridden was under hospice care in our home for the last 22 months of his life, so everyone's journey is different.
I would tell you just to make the most of whatever time you have left with him, and make sure that you're taking care of yourself as well, as I know firsthand, the toll that caregiving can take on you if you're not careful. So please be good to yourself.

It sounds like he could be depressed..
You might try finding things of interest to him like large print paint by number, put together a model car, work on a large print puzzle, play Cards, Domino's or some other game, Crossword Puzzles.

Play music as music therapy is really good.

Once a Week,, Give a massage or hire someone to come in to give him a massage.

Once a month give him a manicure or hire someone to do it.

Tare him outside, even if it's in a wheelchair 20 minutes a day for Fresh Air and Sunshine.

Onice he has a little more energy, take him to the mall and push him around in a wheelchair and go eat and window shop.

Call his old friends and invite them over for lunch and to visit him


Maybe you could start by letting him sit up more in bed or buy a comfy Recliner for him to sit in during the day.

Then have him start getting out of bed and go to the table for his meals.

There us a true saying. Use it or loose it.

Hello -
My husband (80s) announced four months ago that he was not getting out of bed, and he has stuck with his decision. Then two days ago he asked to talk with his doctor to restart physical therapy. He says he wants to get out of the bed!
Doctor has not returned calls yet & we are unsure if Medicare will pay for therapy since he refused it four months ago.
I will say this has been one of the most stressful, baffling, emotional, grueling, and labor intensive periods of my life.
Sorry. You don't need me to share my problem. Do know I am rooting and praying for you.

I read in your profile you have him in hospice but what is his reason for admission?
it sounds like he's lost any will and is depressed. What are your thoughts on that. We need more information.

Staying immobile will have several long-term problems:
1 - he will lose muscle mass
2 - his bones will het more brittle
3 - his body will acclimate to lying down so he will always have blood pressure issues when sitting up
4 - He is at major risk of developing pressure wounds - the worse those get, the more likely he will develop sepsis
5 - if he is mostly lying down, he at risk of developing pneumonia.

With his problems, it might be wise to talk to his doctor. He would probably benefit from going to rehab to help him become more mobile.

In short, muscle atrophy. The human body is designed to get up and move, not be stationary for long periods of time.

Since he's been bed bound for so long, there is a good bet his muscle strength is gone. People can be bedbound and still live, but as LavenderBear mentioned, they are totally dependent on others.

My mother had to get a pacemaker for the same reason. It fixed the problem. He's probably afraid of falling.

What kind of health plan do you have? What kind of durable medical equipment did they give him? I have the same condition, but I push myself. Your dad is a FALL risk and he knows it. He knows if he falls, you won't be able to get him up. Most health plans give, or sell at a reduced rate, or rent out, hospital beds with rails, walkers, and devices that help us put on socks, pull up pants, etc. and there are even devices which help us wipe ourselves after toileting. I had to teach myself how to get into and out of my hospital bed. On the side where I get into bed, I have a half rail which I hold onto and I taught myself how to FLIP onto the bed, as it is hard to move my legs. When I get off the bed, I have to scoot on my butt and push myself holding the longer rail on the other side. Then, I have my walker right there so I don't fall down. I have Congestive Heart Failure and COPD as well as what your dad has. Type II diabetes, neuropathy (it feels like I don't have any feet at all, and sometimes I can't sense my legs. I have to psych myself, saying out loud, "My feet ARE ON THE FLOOR. Then, I hold on harder to my walker, which does have brakes) For the low blood pressure, talk to his doctor. They might be giving him blood pressure pills to lower the blood pressure. That is what happened to me. They had to adjust the medicine. You might also consider having a portable commode (toilet) right there next to his bed so he doesn't have to walk so far. How can you make him WANT to get out of bed? Try ENCOURAGING through SPECIFIC positive comments, in baby steps. Ex: Instead of getting all the way out of bed, compliment him on sitting UP in bed instead of laying down. Tell him you are proud of him, etc. He might also benefit from psychotherapy because men have a tendency to think if they are not Superman, then they are not a man at all. Consider how he was BEFORE he had this heart condition and what a LOSS he must be feeling. He is going through GRIEVING his old life. You might also benefit from psychotherapy and/or a caregiver's support group.

If you are not able to speak with him about how he is feeling mentally and spiritually, can you get a trusted counselor to talk to him (psychologist, social worker, or faith counselor)? He might be depressed.