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My 99 year old mom is bedridden with Alzheimer’s. I need to take her blood pressure regularly but the arm cuff is too painful for her when it inflates so she then moves too much to get a reading. I want to try using a wrist BP monitor but the instructions say you have to be seated with your wrist held at heart level. Does anyone have experience using a wrist BP monitor with someone who is laying down? Thanks!

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My husband who was completely bedridden for the last 22 months of his life and under hospice care, had his blood pressure taken weekly with a wrist BP monitor as he had a PICC line in his upper right arm and his left arm was completely paralyzed which affected the read from an arm BP cuff. However because he was in a hospital bed we would always raise the head of the bed first, so he was sitting more upright.
The hospice nurse would occasionally also put the arm cuff on his ankle to get a read as well, but because it was on his lower extremity it was usually about 10 points off give or take a few points.
I can certainly relate to a BP cuff being extremely painful as I have fibromyalgia and it's quite excruciating for me to have my BP taken on my upper arms. Often they will just use a child's BP cuff and put it around my wrists instead.
Oh and by the way, the wrist BP monitor was actually quite accurate, so why not give it a try?
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Tkd123 Jan 2023
Thank you for your understanding and sharing your personal experience. I feel more comfortable in trying it.
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I don’t know. It’s interesting. The last time I went to the hospital for surgery they took my blood pressure sitting in a chair.

Then after I was in bed, they took it again. It was high in the chair. It was high lying down.

My meds have been doubled. My dad had high blood pressure and heart disease. My brothers have high blood pressure and heart disease.

I have used a wrist monitor and an arm monitor. My doctor said that she doesn’t care which one I use as long as she test it in her office for accuracy.

The literature always says to take BP sitting up. They continually take our BP while lying down in the hospital, so I asked the nurse in the hospital to share her opinion on it. She said that it was just a slight difference in the reading if we are lying down.
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Tkd123 Jan 2023
This is helpful to know. Thank you
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I agree with everything said by Grandma1954. If she is on medication I would only be concerned about LOW blood pressure. I had multiple health care professionals tell me my mom's very low readings (often as low as 60/20) were a sign she was nearing the end of life, turned out that with the changes in her weight and activity levels she was dangerously over medicated.
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Tkd123 Jan 2023
yes. You’re right about watching for low BP and for medication impact. It’s part of the reason we want to monitor mom. Thank you
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I would get the arm one. They honestly should not blow up too much and they should not be painful. I find the Omron a good deal and it is a respected company, about 30.00 on Amazon when last I got mine. Be certain that it is checked with nursing staff, MD office staff to see it is correctly working. Sitting up with arm relaxed is best. Laying flat not preferred. I have never found wrist measurement to be accurate. All personal opinion from old retired RN.
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Tkd123 Jan 2023
I currently have a very good Omron. But it does inflate to a degree that is too painful for mom. I appreciate your sharing your recommendation.
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Try it and see what readings you get.
Honestly if mom has advanced Alzheimer's and is bed bound does her blood pressure really matter? (truthfully I'm not trying to be nasty but....)
do you have Hospice come in?
The Nurse would take her BP each week.
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Tkd123 Jan 2023
Yes, it does matter. Her Dr and nurse want to monitor for med impact and to reduce possibility of stroke. Why risk further avoidable health insults that could cause more pain. Lessening her discomfort during measurement is in line with this. Her times of clarity with laughter, singing or warm smile, however fleeting, make it all so worth it.
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