My mom lives alone and is able to care for herself in most daily things, but she falls, forgets meds, gets mail alone outside. Any ideas?

Unfortunately your mother is no longer able to live alone. What if she forgot she took her meds and took them again. This could be deadly. Sorry for the bluntness but you ladies need to act fast. If I had thought about it I would have gotten my Mom in home care, but I gave her a choice - I move in with her or she moves in with me. 6 years later she is deep into dementia but healthy; she can still walk unaided and until recently showered unaided. Not bad for a 95 yo. We have an aid in the morning, then a shuttle pick her up for her adult day care. We get home at the same time, so it's me nights and weekends.

I hate to say it but she must have dementia and cannot stay by herself. Consider placing her into a facility before something horrible happens. You really have no choice any longer.

Oskigirl: And what happens if they don't want to move to an AL? My late mother didn't, causing me to move out of state.

TAKE ACTION NOW!!! Please!!!!!! Whatever that may mean for you and your family. Just keep her safe, however that may work out. Because it sounds like she is no longer able to do that for herself.

I think you have to start realizing she needs 24/7 supervision and i don't mean from you - in a safe facility. The time is coming and the stove is the clincher.

When my mom got bad it became a matter of giving her options and letting her choose. After a few trips to the hospital over a short period we gave her the option of having a Personal Emergency Response installed of moving to my house in another state. She chose the PERS. When she needed to stop driving it was give up on her own and we could keep the car there for when she needed someone to take her someplace or we would have to sell the car. She gave up her keys. Give her options so that either way you win. “Mom I (or one of your siblings) will call you every night to check in and remind you that you have taken your pills or we will have to have a medication dispenser installed & that will cost you $40.00/month. Which do you think will work best for you at this time?”

Interesting this is mentioned,a story on the local news a man burned to death smoking outside NH. He was using oxygen.

If this is what she really wants to do - and my mother is determined to stay living independently - then get her a call button alarm contract system if she doesn't have one, talk to her about paying someone to pop in once a day, and leave her alone to do as she wants, just keeping the conversation on any help she needs bubbling along so she can pick it up if she needs to.

She doesn't need to live alone anymore. Try finding a NH or something. It'll be safer for her and then you girls won't have to worry as much.

Oh, yes! This was my late mother! She was adamant about living alone in her own home 500 miles away from me and her son. He lives across the country. I live 7 states away. Solution was - I had to MOVE there. When we tried everything else and she said "NO - I WANT TO STAY IN MY HOME - I don't have to tell you when I fall"- dropping meds all over the floor - legally blind - CHF - A-Fib, starting fires in the microwave! Yes, something must be done because leaving the stove on IS A HUGE DEAL! One of you may have to move in. I did.

My mom was in a similar situation before we moved her into memory care. We tried a lot of different things to keep her independent for as long as possible. Eventually we knew we needed to make the move.

Meds were one of our biggest concerns. While living on her own, sometimes she would
forget that she had taken them, and take them again, or forget all together. We found a pill box that had an alarm, and only dispensed 1 day at a time. My mom found the alarm to be annoying, but she admitted she felt better because she was taking the meds consistently.
We, in turn, had peace of mind that she was taking what she was supposed to. We’d fill It for her once a month and knew she had what she needed. We found it on Amazon:
LiveFine Automatic Pill Dispenser, 28-Day Electronic Medication Organizer with Alarm Reminders, Flashing Lights and Safety Lock. It was around $80, but worth every penny.

Someone needs to Take Over Here, dear, It seems Mom is in a Dangerous Spot where it Could One day fall in the lap of you three Siblings for Knowing Mom is "Failing Some, hun," But No One did anything to help Her.....Consult a lawyer, Social Services, protective Adult Services and Get on the Ball.

My mom was incredibly independent but eventually adjusted to a few interventions. You can get a med machine that hooks up with her phone and will notify you by phone if she misses a dose. You can also subscribe her to a lifeline service that is fall sensitive. If she falls, it automatically notifies you/911. It would also help to have someone walk through her home to determine ways to improve her space to reduce the risk of falling. In addition, mom should be doing physical therapy and exercise to improve her balance and core strength. Although dementia can also affect balance, there are many things one can do to make falls less likely to occur. You may need to rethink her stove use, however. There are some appliances that have automatic shut-offs. I purchased mom a microwave and keurig to minimize the use of her stove.

I want to second Karen 51 who indicated that her family member was drained of finances by a friend. As a professional social worker I saw this happen often to confused seniors. My own mother fought living outside her home and a medical emergency provided the timing to move her to assisted living. From there and over 10 years she moved to progressively more care until she passed. Once she moved she was very happy because I chose a facility that met her needs, not mine. Fit is important in selecting a facility. POA is not feasible unless your Mom is "well" enough to agree to a POA. Only an attorney can make that determination as it is a legal not medical distinction. There are many great suggestions on this site but the bottom line is that it is not safe for your Mom to live independently given your reports on her risks. Good luck and thank you for being a concerned and loving daughter!

This is a dangerous situation. It sounds like she has moderate to advanced dementia and it will only get worse. As hard as it is, your mom cannot be left alone.

I've recently been in the same situation and we are 3 siblings with two not living close and all of us gainfully employed. My mom left the gas stove on and said "oh, everybody does that." She was not eating properly and lost a ton of weight. Was also having issues taking her meds. She fired all the round-the-clock help we hired. So we moved her to assisted living. Glad we did it when we did because at this point she doesn't know what day of the week it is.

Best of luck. It is hard to find the right caregivers or facilities, but it is dangerous to leave your mom on her own for her own health and safety.

It's time,..... to get her help for her safety and health.
I had an extremely difficult time getting my mother help, other than being there myself non-stop. My sisters were closer to her home, but since I was a DPOA my sisters, thought I should care for Mom. I found support from the health professionals, as my mother would at least listen to them, instead of myself. It is not easy and an uphill battle. My mom still has continuous falls, altimzers, PAD, , spinal stenosis and chronic UTI's to name a few of health aliments which put her in the hospital, then rehap, followed by home care. Eventually, we were able to start her home care several times a week, then gradually to additional time. Suggesting a good geriatric physician, and converse with them about your concerns, see if they will write a script for home care, starting off with PT/OT and nurse and perhaps can start care a couple times a week. Then ween her into caregiver several times a week. Think about purchasing some sort of medical alert device. It is difficult and your mom probably won't like it, but keep in mind it's for her safety and health. God Bless you

It is good that she can take care of most of her daily needs, but her life is in jeopardy right not. Falling, forgetting to take her meds and leaving the stove on is a big deal. You may need to get a Power of Attorney and either move her to a place that can give her the assistance she needs or have someone come into her home to assist her. Today there are so many wonderful assistant living facilities around where Seniors can live in there own space and have someone come and give them their meds, they can dine with others and have a active social life if they so choose. Letting her stay at home alone and knowing that she is a detriment to herself is something that you really need to think about.

You are being an ostrich quite frankly - your mom is an accident in the making!! - she needs more help - just the fact that she didn't seek help when the house filled with smoke shows you this - she needs assisted living somehow whether she wants it or not - check her smoke detector today

Get an alarm clock & set it beside her meds so that she will see them & take them at right time[s] until you can sort it all out

You probably won't like what I'm saying but soon you will have a crisis that will give you no choice so get the family together sooner than later even if it only a conference call & make a plan of action while having an united front [hopefully] when dealing with her

I think you and your sisters have already identified all of the reasons she cannot be alone. She is lucid enough most of the time to know she wants to be independent, but has gaps where she forgets important/dangerous stuff like the meds and the fire hazards. The biggie here is the stove and a fire. And all three of you are going to have a huge dose of guilt to live with if she burns herself and the house down.

To keep her in the home, she has to have more attention each day and meals. My mom is ok mentally. It's her knees and walking that became an issue. A neighbor of my mother's comes each morning to cook breakfast. In the evening, she brings a plate of food from what she cooked for her family. We still buy groceries each week and the neighbor uses our meats/veggies two or three times a week for suppers and then uses her own the other nights to cook for her family and my mom. Works well and eased my mother out of the kitchen all of the time. Left overs from supper can be used for next day's lunch. We pay about $10 a day for her to come cook breakfast at the house and bring a plate for supper. Plus she was another eye on the situation to see what's going on. Even after I started staying full time, the lady continued the cooking thing.

If you get someone to come in/out each day, such as meals, that person can also put the meds with the food and you will eliminate missed medications.

If she is falling, does she use a walker? She may be able to use a rollator walker just to have something to hang on to. My mother was very resistant to this idea, so I bought one and took it with us on a trip. I pushed it myself until she complained of being tired and then I offered it to her to sit and rest. The walker thing took some time, but she eventually realized it was good for support.

The other thing is getting her a life line emergency button to hang on her neck. After checking them all out, the 5star that you buy at Walmart was the best deal. You don't have to be close to a base unit inside the house for it to work. Has gps, too, to locate her if she happened to wander off. And they answer it immediately if you push the button. You give them phone numbers to call (you/your siblings/neighbors) if there's an emergency. About $23-24 a month and well worth it. Again, takes time to form the habit of wearing it/charging it.

Bottom line, and it seems you already recognize it, your mom cannot be in the home alone all day. Disable the stove and put a note on the back side of it for a repairman to see if she happens to call one....do not fix the stove ... tell her it is not repairable. You need to call her when it's time to get up in the AM and when it's time to be in bed in the PM and someone needs to pop in each day. Falling can be bad, but falling and laying on the floor for a lengthy period can be fatal.

Good luck on the modifying her life. It's not easy, but worth a try

It’s time to move her. Our mother was the same. The catalyst for us was finding out she was being drained of large amounts of money by a “friend “. We were able to use the situation to get her out of her home before she fell and was hurt badly - or burned the house down.

She wants to remain independent so downplays the potential seriousness of these issues. But she's going to have to accept some tradeoffs. So if memory is an issue, for safety, she's not going to be able to access the oven. Definitely contact the local fire dept and ask about getting a knox/lock box where her house keys will be safely locked inside for emergency purposes. And get an emergency alert button, perhaps one of the new versions with fall detection. Maybe the MD can insist on a walker. Falls happen regardless of where one is; sometimes a bone breaks and THEN there is the fall. Consider meals on wheels; a microwave if she has the capacity to use that? But be aware of what the meal is delivered in...i.e locally, it's now in an aluminum pan which cannot be microwaved (and regrettably cannot be recycled here either). Med dispenser can be helpful. Camera to keep an eye out for you. Can the location of her mail being delivered be changed so she doesn't have to go out if it's cold or icy? Some people I know have carriers that know they are disabled and will place it in a bag hanging on their doorknob or a hook.

Buy her a Med Ready pill dispenser. Take her off or reduce any medications that could cause her to fall or be dizzy.

Our situations sound similiar, Snoopycharlie. My sister and I chose to take the calculated risk of letting Mom live at home, despite a diagnosis of Alzheimer's, but we were lucky in one regard because she had no interest in cooking (even when we were kids!).

We have been going to a caregiver support group for about a year because Mom is as stubborn as a mule. Won't give an inch or admit anything is wrong. Everyone in the group felt like we were taking too big a risk and one finally told us, it will be an injury that will spur action into an irreversible transition to another living situation. They were right.

This December, Mom called my sister at work to come get her mail (which she's paranoid about leaving in the street side box for more than 5 minutes) and to pour her a drink because Mom hurt too much to get it herself. We wondered what the heck happened, so - long story short - we cooked up a story to get her to a doctor (which she would NEVER do voluntarily, even if her arm were falling off) and she had a fractured tibia, just under the knee cap. From there, it was a whirlwind trip in an ambulance to the hospital, then to rehab, and now in the memory care facility, which she still doesn't realize she will never leave.

It took an injury to get things moving. Lucky for us, it wasn't too serious as in having life-threatening consequences. I feel for you, but if you reread your original post again, I think you - and your sisters - will see that something needs to happen. It's hard as hell. Every minute of the planning will feel like conspiring and doing something *to* your mother, but you are doing it *for* her. Sometimes the best care we can provide a loved one is letting the professionals handle it.

Meantime, do some research on area homes where she can live her life in an "aging in place" community. Start with your state agency that oversees SNFs, etc. See if you can find a senior housing specialist in your area (or wherever Mom will likely live) who would probably charge the facility where your Mom is placed, so no out-of-pocket for you.

Good luck to you and your sisters. It's also helpful if all three of you are in agreement about next steps and you each share in the load that is to come. It doesn't stop just because Mom is placed somewhere. Seek the support of a caregiver support group.

Have someone just stop by and check on her

Sadly it does appear that your mother needs more supervision to help keep her safe.
It IS a big deal if mom leaves a pan on the stove on and the place gets filled with smoke.

Yes she will be stubborn about this but for her safety it’s time.

Options are AL or NH unless the family can hire private CG’s which is not in our budgets to pay those aides.

Good luck to you!

She is losing her mental capacity which is scary, since it comes along with losing control of your personal life. She was independant, and now kids want to step in and help. 3 kids help out, just make sure is not alone for a long period of time.

Do check to see if stove is off, oven is off, shower is off. water outside is not running. She should have a smoke detector and a carbon detector in the mail hall anyway.Does she have a walker? Well if you don't, get one from Goodwill.make sure she will use it.

remeber: bend at waist, fall on face.. goes with most things. Look online for GAIT BELTS. They have some that have grab holds in different positions, they are great. just the belt around her waist, and you can grab it in the back. Plain and simple, but it actually works.

Oh yeah, and look into learning how to use a “gait belt”. They are phenomenal in keeping people from falling or controlling a fall safely, especially when used with proper body mechanics.. best.

If she falls, one fall too many is on its way.

Unfortunately her being able to care for most things is not good enough. If she's falling and forgetting meds and going to the mailbox, you know that she is at risk.
She's leaving the stove on too? Even if it is electric that's a huge red flag. (We had to take all of the knobs off of the stove. And my mom couldn't remember how to use the microwave. My sister was afraid she would burn the house down while they were sleeping. Luckily it didn't come to that.)
And yes, this is a big problem, the transition from being an able bodied person to a person who needs help, but you have already reached that stage.
Assisted Living would be ideal, as she would have her own apartment and she would have meals prepared, and possibly thrive with a community of other elderly, and could take part in activities.
It's time to take action.

Yeah, my mom didn’t want our help either but she really really needed it. She had Parkinson’s related dementia and for some reason thought that she was able to do everything on her own still without our help. It made it very very difficult for us to continue to help her, we had moved in and sold her house to do so but she did not appreciate it. For us, we were successful in caring for her until the end of her life which was two years from the point of our moving in. I guess you have to ask yourself if you are willing to make such a sacrifice for her when she may not appreciate what you are really doing. If she is not capable of living on her own and maybe time to suggest that she lives at home. If she is not safe at home currently and she does not want to help you might consider telling DHHS.