Hi
@cymbid
My sympathies to you and your mum.
This happened to us - my OH was taken in to hospital after a fall. A hospital stay makes everything for a PWD worse.
Firstly, when you're not there, their confusion about everything is exposed for the hospital staff to see. The staff often are v busy and, thus, do not have time to spend extra minutes with your mum, especially if she cannot understand and/or follow instructions. Not all nurses and doctors have training in dealing with dementia patients. Thus, they don't have time to check whether your mum drinks enough, and she could become dehydrated. They aften don't have time to help patients go to the toilet, and thus expect the patients to either use a bedpan, or an incontinence pad. If the patient can't speak clearly, the staff don't have time to wait and try and understand what the patient is saying. Some patients just cry because of pain or un-ease because they can't express themselves.
What is most important is that you chase and chase and chase to make sure your mum get a physiotherapist to help her everyday to get and start weight bearing and walking again, with frame, or crutches. I cannot express this strongly enough.
My wife, in the ward, perceived the blue/green plastic floor tiles to look like water. So she didn't want to get out of bed as she thought it would be dangerous to step into water. The nurses said they didn't have enough time to help her to go to the toilet and put her in an incontinence pad. My wife didn't recognise this as a toilet and wouldn't open her bowels. After more than 3 days of this, my OH became v seriously impacted and was in great pain, which she couldn't fully express in words (as her speech was at that time pretty poor because of the dementia). By the time the doctor in charge was told, he was horrified and had to do something immediately. It took the hospital more than a week and half to get a physio to my OH. He said there were 3 physios, but one was ill and off work, and one was on holiday, and he was trying to cover 5 wards! He was a "stranger" so far as my OH was concerned and thus, she didn't feel inclined to do what he said. Then he couldn't get my OH to follow instructions and he couldn't get her to stand up. Result = after about 2 weeks or more of lying in bed, my OH suffered muscle wastage, shrinkage of the ligaments and tendons from non-use, and she forgot how to walk. In fact, that was at the beginning of July 2022, as she hasn't ever walked since!
Please don't let this happen to your mum. Be pushy!
Our world has been turned upside down. My OH spends her time in bed (in what was our dining room) or via a hoist in a chair in the lounge. She has since then, not been out of the house, not been to the memory singers, the dementia cafe, the craft workshop, etc, etc - all things she loved.
Best wishes.