Why has my Mom fallen 4 times since November 5th?

Oh, we got her slipper socks with rubber grippers on bottom that she sleeps in so no barefoot at night. I'm hoping with what we've done the falls will stop.

After talking to caregivers it seems she left her walker in the hall so that is the cause of the last fall. She is on BP med but nothing is new, been on same med for years. We've removed the table from her small kitchen since she was backing out since she couldn't turn around with walker. This should help. The Physical Therapist visited her the day after the fall and observed her and how she used the walker. She doesn't keep it with her at all times so I suspect that is the issue. She didn't fall when she lived independently, we'd know because there would be no way she could have gotten herself up from the floor. Thanks for all your comments, I'm so glad I found this site. Great information and support.

Interesting point FF. Tosacem, it is totally possible mom fell on her own and never told you. My MIL would not tell us every time she fell. Now when they fall at AL, there are witnesses and they can't hide it anymore.

tosacem, chances are your Mom could have fallen living independently, elders tend not to tell.

I know way after the fact my Dad told me that he and my Mom had fallen down the stairs numerous times... Yikes !!

Also, make sure they aren't allowing her to sleep in her socks. If she gets up during the night, the socks can easily slide on the hard floor. She may forget to put on slippers. Bare feet don't slide as easily as socks on the floor.

It can be frustrating. The cause can be mysterious, Maybe, she would have fallen at home more too, if she continued to live there. It's hard to say. I'd play detective to see if you can figure it out.

What are her ailments? Is she taking new medications? They can cause dizziness and poor balance.

If she's falling in the hallway, it could be that she now has a longer distance to walk to the dining room or activity room. That could cause an increase in her overall walking time. Can staff escort her or wheel her there?

She could be forgetting to use her walker or cane. If she has memory problems, reminders don't usually help.

Is she used to walking on hard surface floors? My cousin mainly walked on carpet at home, so the hard floors were tricky for her.

Check her shoes to make sure they fit properly and aren't sliding on the floors.

Is she falling during the night? Maybe, she can't see and falls. Has her vision changed?

Discuss, reducing nighttime liquids and getting meds for sleeping, if she's getting up during the night alone. Also, explore a bed alarm for night use.

Sorry, I was typing as you posted. I would ask both the PT and OT staff what they've observed. That might offer clues.

Let us know; unexplained falls are always a concern.

There could be a lot of reasons, both "environmental" and medical.

She's in new surroundings; how long was she living independently, and where? Was it in her own home or with a family member? If she has any dementia, that could complicate her adjustment b/c of the change in environment and "neighbors".

What are her health conditions? Does she take blood pressure meds and how are they monitored? Meds that lower BP can also reach a "critical mass" and cause the BP to drop so rapidly that a person has difficulty standing. That happened to my mother.

BP meds can also cause orthostatic hypotension, causing the BP to drop when a person stands up, often too rapidly.

Syncope is a type of falling w/o specifically known causes. This caused both of my father's falls and femur fractures.

She might have developed an ear infection, or to much wax in the ear and her balance is affected.

She may have developed vision problems that complicate seeing where she is and where's going.

There may be carpeting in the AL facility, or the configuration in her room might not be conducive to clear navigation. There might not be enough grab bars.

I think a good thorough exam of any bodily function that could cause disorientation, dizziness, balance loss and contribute to falling would be a good idea, as well as an exam by a physical therapist.

She is seeing a PT and OT currently, although only 4 sessions. I guess we need to give the PT and OT more time. We may run out of money before it can help..reason. It just seems weird to me that she never fell before but now, kaboom.

In yiur shoes i would request that mom be evaluated by a Physical Therapist to see if she has dofficukties with balance, walking, if she is using her walker properly.

We had 8 trips to ER within one year. Ma was trying to prove to everyone at the AL that she did not need a walker or a cane. Pride goeth before a fall.