Mum crawling

[Lorrell28]

Hello all.
I'm new here and just wondered if you could help me.
My mum is 94 and in a care home. She was diagnosed with kidney cancer a few years ago and now dementia. She is quite frail now and not speaking very much but manages the odd smile and limited chat. My main worry is that she keeps putting herself on the floor and crawling around. She can be sitting in a chair and just slides down. I have been told she does this a lot at night, which is incurring some small bruises and she has cut her leg. The doctor has now put mum on Memantine (?) to see if this settles her. We are now wondering if a sedative at night would help keep her calm and in bed.
Anyone else going through this....it's very upsetting to see.
Thanks
Alison

 

[Bunpoots]

Hello

I've had no experience with this although my late mum used to slide out of her chair but then she'd just sit on the floor...

I hope you don't think I'm being flippent but maybe you could find some way of padding her knees until this phase passes. Something like leggings which are tight around the knees with folded soft face cloths in the knee area. Not very elegant I know but should make her more comfortable.

I'm sure someone will be along soon with better ideas than me.

 

[Katrine]

I've not experienced this myself but carers have told me that they've seen this. It could be a regression to childhood behaviour. I agree with Bunpoots. Make her comfortable and pad her against bruises, and guide her to an area where she is not going to be walked on or tripped over. You could arrange to talk to an Occupational Therapist. Sometimes they can provide aids and equipment, and they can advise on managing the behaviour and her environment.

 

[Rosnpton]

HiMy mum was walking with a zimm or wheeled walker. Then she kept 'falling' although always when on is.
She also started 'falling' out of bed.
She has now moved from Residential to dementia unit where there is more supervision.
They have seen her roll from the bed onto the floor as her way of getting out of bed-it seems she has forgotten how to sit up,or rol onto her side to get up.
She also slides from chairs onto the floor. The falls service checked her out a couple of weeks ago,and said it seems that she finds it easier and less painful for her arthritic joints to slide onto the floor and 'bum shuffle' or 'crawl' rather than stand with her zimma.
Even when a carer is there to help her up from the chair into a wheelchair to move to another room, unless prompted and stopped,she will go to slide off on to the floor first.

Ros

 

[PollyP.]

Hello Alison

My Mum is 100 and in a care home - the other day one of the carers was telling me that mum did exactly this, she often slides off her chair but this one occasion she was actually shuffling on her bottom. She doesn't normally have any problem walking and often will go without her Zimmer frame! Strange

Pauline
xx

 

[Kevinl]

Hi Alison, welcome to TP
It's a matter of opinion, some doctors might see prescribing Memantine as an increased fall risk during the day as it's normally prescribed as a morning medication.
Likewise the use of medication to keep people asleep is frowned down on as it smacks of the "chemical cosh", using medication for the a quiet life, not for the benefit of the resident, doctors have to walk a fine line. I doubt if you'd get them to prescribe a regular night time "sleeping pill" on anything other than an occasional basis.
A man in care with my wife didn't have a sleep record, in bed of more than 2 hours in 3 days, eventually she got the home's GP to agree to night time medication but only for 3 days/nights and that was only after some serious discussion.
My wife has a lowered bed then a crash mat (effectively a second mattress on the floor) that has a pressure mat on top so if any part of her touches the floor then the alarm goes off and the response time to it being reset in her room is recorded and monitored by the management the next day.
K

 

[Lorrell28]

Thank you

Thank you for all your replies all of which give great advice and support.
Visited mum again yesterday, she is now very sleepy but managed to get her up and into a wheelchair and into the sunshine. She was fine until I took her into sit at the dinner table. Then she starts to push herself away and tries to get down onto the floor. Myself and a carer took her to a sofa to eat but still she becomes agitated and wants to get up or get down, she told me she needed to put her head on the floor. Conversation is difficult as she starts to say things but then forgets or just doesn't know what she's saying. I managed to keep her sat, managed to get her to eat something then when finished I lay her down and she went back to sleep. I said my goodbyes and then left. Seems sleeping is best and the calmest for her these days.