Shelly, this happened to my father more than a few times. Causes were dehydration (even though he regularly drinks fluids), orthostatic hypotension, malnourishment and another which I forget. These were coincident with pneumonia and other serious conditions. As he grew older, it was more likely that several factors contributed to the weakness that caused him either to collapse, slide out of his chair, or be too weak to stand.
If you haven't called EMS and she's still at home, call them NOW. It's never too late as there may be some dehydration an malnourishment that could change things or cause her to go downhill very quickly.
This is a condition that demands immediate medical care.
I agree. Call 911 and get your Mom to the ER Dept ASAP so that she can be evaluated and treated. As GA has mentioned, elderly people (ages 70's, 80's, 90's) can become dehydrate quickly and sooner than people in their 50's, 60's or younger. Also, the elderly are affected more when they are experiencing electrolytes imbalance. Muscle weakness can be a symptom of electrolyte imbalance, stroke, TIAs, or cardiac problems. You really need to get your Mom to the ER Department NOW!!!
Shelly, there's a distinction between post discharge weakness and being "unable to walk." This morning: can she stand at all? Are her legs still buckling?
Was she able to eat anything yesterday to give her nutrients?
If the answers to the first two questions are definite no's, then this could be more than just weakness. Call EMS before anything gets worse.
She might have become dehydrated and too weak to stand. She may have had a one sided stroke, there may be other issues going on.
Why take the chance? If there is another development, or complication, and it isn't addressed ASAP, you don't want to be in a position to blame yourself.
Have they done an MRI to rule out a stroke or neuro problem? If not, I would push for one just to make sure she hasn't had any major neurological changes that could be causing the movement problems.
My Moms been in the ER twice for dehydration. She came home from both visits weak but was much better the next day . I think it just takes a while for it to really get circulated and absorbed properly. This is a battle with us because we dont want her to get chf ( she has 2 bad heart valves) . Its a balancing act .. getting her to drink ( which she doesnt do much of) but not hold extra fluids .
Infections in the elderly can really zap their strength. I know of an elderly lady who was very steady on her feet--except when she had a respiratory infection, like mild pneumonia, then she would become unsteady on her feet and fall. After a treatment of antibiotics, she was up and "running" about like usual...until she got another respiratory infection.
Let us know how your Mom is doing. She may need a few days in a skilled care rehab facility for "in-house" physical and occupational therapy.
I have never been fond of doing physical and occupational therapy in someone's home as it isn't as intensive and as involved as in a facility because the home usually doesn't have all of the equipment that a facility has.
You might want to start looking into post-hospital PT/OT therapy in a rehab facility now so that you will be prepared when your Mom is discharged from the hospital. Let us know what happens when your Mom is discharged from the hospital.
She has had several ct and mri to rule out stroke and pneumonia all are negative. The Dr is ordering Pt evaluation tomorrow. This evening she was still a little confused but it seems like she’s getting her mind back. She knew how old I was and my birthday. Thanks everyone for your answers.
She was discharged earlier today from dehydration and infection from diverticulitis. Before she was discharged she was walking all over the hospital. When we came home she ate and felt really tired. So she was resting and went to go to the bathroom and couldn’t walk. I was able to get her in the bed and she’s been asleep. She drunk a few cups of water and ensure when we came home.
We called 911 that night and she is back in the hospital. All of her blood work and test are fine. They are giving her fluids and antibiotics to make sure she doesn’t have any infection somewhere. She is doing better but weak. Thanks for all the answers. I still can’t figure out why she couldn’t walk. This has never happened to her before.
If you haven't called EMS and she's still at home, call them NOW. It's never too late as there may be some dehydration an malnourishment that could change things or cause her to go downhill very quickly.
This is a condition that demands immediate medical care.
Was she able to eat anything yesterday to give her nutrients?
If the answers to the first two questions are definite no's, then this could be more than just weakness. Call EMS before anything gets worse.
She might have become dehydrated and too weak to stand. She may have had a one sided stroke, there may be other issues going on.
Why take the chance? If there is another development, or complication, and it isn't addressed ASAP, you don't want to be in a position to blame yourself.
Let us know how your Mom is doing. She may need a few days in a skilled care rehab facility for "in-house" physical and occupational therapy.
I have never been fond of doing physical and occupational therapy in someone's home as it isn't as intensive and as involved as in a facility because the home usually doesn't have all of the equipment that a facility has.
You might want to start looking into post-hospital PT/OT therapy in a rehab facility now so that you will be prepared when your Mom is discharged from the hospital. Let us know what happens when your Mom is discharged from the hospital.
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