Mums swollen feet.....

[yak55]

My Mum has Alzheimer’s and before she went into a CH six weeks ago her feet were well looked after.
Since being there she is not resting much or laying in her bed all night therefore her feet have swollen. Today when I visited the top of her feet were shiny.
I’m very concerned but if Mum is on her feet most of the day and night what can be done?
The GP recently prescribed a small dose of Zopiclone to be taken if and when and I was under the impression it was working but today I was told that she is just not resting

 

[Grannie G]

Is your mum retaining fluids @yak55? My ankles and feet swell from fluid retention and I'm prescribed diuretics.

 

[SnowWhite]

You may be as well getting a GP to check her over as swollen feet can be a sign of heart problems.

 

[Kevinl]

Is there a connection between walking a lot and swollen feet? It's a genuine question, I walk a lot but I've never had swollen feet, I did a 24 hour sponsored walk and I got sore feet but they never swelled up in any way.
Some of the residents at the home do have swollen feet and calves but if anything it seems to me that it's more common among the ones who are immobile, I can only thing of one of the walkers with swollen feet but I know at least 3 of the sitters have what looks to me like oedema.
I came across oedema quite a few times as a nurse but that was years ago and for that, as Grannie G says the usual thing is a diuretic often used in combination with potassium tablets.
As SnowWhite says run it past the GP as it could be a symptom of something else.
K

 

[lambchop]

My mum had similar issues if she didn't sleep but my mum wasn't very mobile. If your mum's feet are red, hot and painful, it could be an infection so, do see if the GP will check her. In the meantime, can your mum put her feet on a stool when she does sit down? Or does she have a riser - recliner?

If she isn't resting at all, the GP should check her for an infection anyway,if this is a change in her behaviour. If there is no infection, the mild sedative will hopefullly work, but it woudl have to be taken regularly. You could try lavender oil or valerian tablets if mum would take it. There are also natural sleep pillow sprays which can be sprayed onto the bed linen or even her chair. Could the carers massage her legs? Is her room very restful - is there a lot of noise from the other residents that could be disturbing her, or something else? Has she got relaxing music?

If she is getting up during the night, the carers should walk with her or sit with her until she hopefully feels tired but I know there aren't enough carers to do this with every resident.

 

[love.dad.but..]

Dad was a walker day and night in his NH and he had swollen legs and feet. Of course they needed to be elevated but he didn't have the understanding and the compulsion to walk made that impossible. He was monitored in case cellulitis developed. The only time I saw his legs their normal skinny size was when he was in bed in hospital and then end of life. It was thought also that poor circulation added to the problem. Zopiclone made no difference to aiding sleep and was actually withdrawn after some time as dad became high risk of falls and it can increase the risk for some pwd. Sorry...despite staff and I trying we couldn't persuade dad to rest and elevate his legs so couldn't find an answer. The staff and GP should closely monitor your mum though

 

[yak55]

Thank you all for your comments.
When Mum does sit down she doesn’t use a recliner or footstool and I need to find out if the staff are advising her to.
Mum has never had swollen legs and feet before the CH, she is mobile and as her Alzheimer’s is progressing she is forgetting to put socks or pop socks on and wears her outdoor shoes, which are leather, through the day which doesn’t help. When I saw her yesterday she had her jumper on back to front but it’s just me noticing these changes because my Mum was always well dressed. I found some of her clothes in a cushion cover yesterday in a seating area! I don’t know how long they’d been there. I will ring the home tomorrow and ask them to call the Gp to visit and look at her legs/feet. I’ve taken photos as I do for anything that catches my eye.
Mum was abused as a young girl in her own bed by a visiting relative so she is terrified of being on her own at night hence the moving of furniture and blocking her door.
Mum without Alzheimer’s could be made to understand that she needs to sleep and raise her legs but Mum with AZ doesnt understand.
I’ll let you know what happens after the Gp call/visit.
Thanks once again for being there for me. I feel ‘stuck’, I’m still a carer even though Mums now in the CH, all the responsibilities are still firmly with me

 

[Graybiker]

Hi, had to reply as mam has exactly the same problem. Never had swollen feet or legs before entering care home.
Thankfully they got a doc in as soon as I mentioned it. He told her, in no incertain terms, she must have her feet up when sitting. Thankfully this has stuck with her and the staff are very good at making sure she does it.
Unfortunately she doesn’t go to bed much at night, sleeps in the chair with her feet up. As hard as we, her family, or the care home try, we cannot get her in bed, but mam slept on the sofa for 10 years before going into the home so I can’t blame them for that.
With something like this I think presistence is key, we even leave post it notes telling her to put her feet up or go to bed. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
I hope you find something that works for you
Xx