Mum still seems to be 'in remission'. She enjoyed Christmas day and opened all her presents which she hasn't done for many years and commented on them! She didnt eat her dinner with the other residents so we were able to sit with her and share a bottle of bubbly. She was in good form today too telling me my hair was a mess and that she had done hers herself! I told her that I didnt have an inhouse hairdresser and it was gale force wind outside which she found funny. She told another resident she liked her Christmas jumper and my sister that she liked her necklace. All is looking good for 2018!
A Miracle has happened
- Thread starter daisydi
- Start date
My husband deteriorated quickly after pneumonia and a heart attach in hospital - then improved gradually enough to sometimes be his old self - I understand the cause was delirium- and some people suffer more than others - it can take as long as 6 months to improve and clear the delirium (if there is no further setback) -
But I will note the suggestion of multi vitamins - his doctor says the Mediterranean diet and exercise each day is important .
But I will note the suggestion of multi vitamins - his doctor says the Mediterranean diet and exercise each day is important .
How wonderful for you and your mum. I have witnessed this several times with my mum, and once in a similar circumstance mum having fallen, gashed her head, blood of Shakespearean proportions everywhere... the aftermath... 6 staples, and mum more cognitive and almost like her old self. It's as if the trauma triggers the 'fight or flight' in her and blood flows, synapses snap and neutrons transmit that bit better. Just my observations but I'm inclined to agree with philamillen, these improvements are one of the keys to tackling the disease. Enjoy your time with your mum. I'm going to look up folic acid now!
I am so upset and angry. As you know mum was doing really well, looked great, speaking, eating and mobilising. We had a lovely Christmas and she was very happy and smiley. On Sunday I got the dreaded phone call from the care home to tell me she had fallen down the stairs (they are extremely steep). She was taken to hospital and by some other kind of miracle nothing was broken, even her new hip was intact. She hadnt been feeling well so they had left her in her upstairs bedroom and apparently she dodged the alarm pads, came out of her room and tried to get down the stairs. She is covered in bruises and cuts and has a nasty swollen knee but they have brought her downstairs and today she was totally vague, hadnt had anything to eat or drink and just looked completely blank. I feel sick at the thought of her falling and am now having nightmares about it. We have requested that she urgently be moved to a downstairs bedroom which we had asked for when her hip was broken as we knew if she could she would wander. We told well we havent got a room and that probably wouldnt stop her using the stairs???? I am absolutely gutted that this has happened and feel like moving her but she is happy there. Dont know what to do now but my trust has gone. Just had to get this out of my system .....
Oh no! Sorry to hear about Mums fall, thank goodness nothing broken.
I know that nightmare feeling of reliving the fall, it’s awful isn’t it, I feel for you.
My Mum is not great with stairs majority of her falls have happened there, despite everything in place to stop it.
Wishing your Mum well and just throw that horrid thought away, send it to me and I’ll bin it. X
Surely the care home should have a stair gate fitted if residents are falling down the stairs, or even at risk of falling downstairs. I don't mean a baby gate, a joiner made one with a lock and keys for the carers to use should make it harder for any future accidents like your poor mum's.
Am so sorry to hear that your mum has fallen especially as she was doing so well.I would have thought the home would have done a risk assessment on your mum being upstairs recovering from a broken hip and known wanderer and the stairs present a big risk to a wanderer whether fully mobile or not so. Dad started suddenly having falls...can't be helped with dementia decline and decreasing mobility and ttthetre are no stairs in his NH something I had on his criteria list...but stairs would have been a huge risk if he had access. I would expect a gate to be used ...ok so it denies some independent access to their room without asking...Another no on the list for dad as he couldn't by then ask...but the risks to residents like your mum and probably others if upstairs surely
outweighs that. Much as a lot of falls sadly can neither be predicted or prevented no matter how good the care is I think they have to address this as a very serious matter urgently. If no rooms are free or likely to become free downstairs and even if they were she could accesx the stairs ! i would want assurances in now that they can keep her safe from the stairs and even though she is happy I would look to move her ... better she is upset from a move than sustain serious injuries. Sorry but I think the home have to come up with a solution or it the premises are not meeting your Mum's needs now
outweighs that. Much as a lot of falls sadly can neither be predicted or prevented no matter how good the care is I think they have to address this as a very serious matter urgently. If no rooms are free or likely to become free downstairs and even if they were she could accesx the stairs ! i would want assurances in now that they can keep her safe from the stairs and even though she is happy I would look to move her ... better she is upset from a move than sustain serious injuries. Sorry but I think the home have to come up with a solution or it the premises are not meeting your Mum's needs now
they say a stair gate is out of the question as the stairs have a chair lift and it would be very difficult
thanks for your reply. I just dont know what to do. She has had such a rapid decline in the last 24 hours I will have to wait and see what happens next.
Could they put gates in the corridor either side of the stairs?
How is your mum? I hope she picks up again after the trauma.
@daisydi I am very sorry about your Mum's fall and set back, hopefully as she recovers she will regain some of her remarkable 're-found' abilities again.
Is your Mum iin a dementia wing in the care home? If so I am surprised that the dementia residents have access to stairs. My husband's dementia wing was upstairs along with another wing for very frail elderly some with early dementia. In the hall between the wings was a staircase and a lift but each wing had a locked door. A number had to be keyed in to get in and out.
The downstairs wings residents ranged from fairly fit to various stages of frailty but no dementia residents. The wings did not have locked doors but the doors from the corridors into reception and then the main door there to leave the building also had key pads.
The outside main door a keypad only on the inside - to open the door to leave the building. If the receptionist was absent from her office and desk the main door was locked. The outside bell had to be rung and a staff member would then come and open it.
Loo
Is your Mum iin a dementia wing in the care home? If so I am surprised that the dementia residents have access to stairs. My husband's dementia wing was upstairs along with another wing for very frail elderly some with early dementia. In the hall between the wings was a staircase and a lift but each wing had a locked door. A number had to be keyed in to get in and out.
The downstairs wings residents ranged from fairly fit to various stages of frailty but no dementia residents. The wings did not have locked doors but the doors from the corridors into reception and then the main door there to leave the building also had key pads.
The outside main door a keypad only on the inside - to open the door to leave the building. If the receptionist was absent from her office and desk the main door was locked. The outside bell had to be rung and a staff member would then come and open it.
Loo
Last edited:
Thank you all so much for your replies and advice. Went to see mum this morning and she wasnt particularly good but my sister went late afternoon and said she was a bit better. The care home have ordered and retractable gate to put on her room in case she has to stay up there some times so she wouldnt be able to get out easily. At least they are trying to do something which makes me feel a bit better. Her care home is a residential home not purely dementia so they dont have separate wings etc. Hopefully she will soon be on the mend and back to her normal for now chatty self. She is a very strong woman so Im sure she will do whatever she can to get better.
thank you
Good sign..they are being proactive and trying to think of a solution which hopefully gives you a little reassurance. Hopefully your mum will continue to get back to the miracle stage!
Mum seemed to be improved today so I think she is on the mend. She is now eating well again so looks like she will get back to her new normal. The retractable gate was already fixed on the door so the care home are trying to minimise any risk. To be honest mum never usually stays in her room but she wasn't very well on Sunday which is why she was there in the first place. Just need to forget the horrors of Sunday and hope she gets back to her happy chatty self.
