He's been in hospital for a few weeks and he is just beginning to take a few steps (shuffles) with the zimmer. He says they stand him up, position him with the walker but they have to give him a little push to get him started, otherwise he's just stuck there. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I can't work out whether it's underused muscles or a neuro problem or what....checked Parkinson and ALS symptoms just in case but they don't really seem to fit, I think his muscle weakness is more ragdollish than stiff and jerky
Needs a push to start walking
- Thread starter charlie10
- Start date
Oh yes! OH frequently stated his legs stuck to floor.
Various explanations given to1. Brain not responding to signals??? ...2.worsening dementia???.......
Dementia with Parkinsonism??? Muscle wasteage?......
Has to be promoted every time to move feet , which incidentally I have noticed he has his toes upturned(?) and again has to be reminded to put foot fully on the ground ) this is when he manages a few steps when supported each side!
Re: Nitrams post.........Incidentally, OH was first unofficially diagnosed by neurologist as LBD , ( hallucinations ... clarity one minute , confused next, blank episodes,) however recent visit from memory nurse is now saying mixed dementia ( Vascular and Alzheimer’s!)
Various explanations given to1. Brain not responding to signals??? ...2.worsening dementia???.......
Dementia with Parkinsonism??? Muscle wasteage?......
Has to be promoted every time to move feet , which incidentally I have noticed he has his toes upturned(?) and again has to be reminded to put foot fully on the ground ) this is when he manages a few steps when supported each side!
Re: Nitrams post.........Incidentally, OH was first unofficially diagnosed by neurologist as LBD , ( hallucinations ... clarity one minute , confused next, blank episodes,) however recent visit from memory nurse is now saying mixed dementia ( Vascular and Alzheimer’s!)
Learnt so much from this thread. Why don't the doctors or nurses etc give out information. I had assumed that this sticking to the floor was caused by dementia. It occurred more and more until he eventually forgot how to or was too frightened. He has no balance now and cannot take his own weight. Shaking more often now. Don't know what that is. Have asked the doctors but they just shrug their shoulders. Got the confused and blank episodes. Getting more difficult to communicate now. I'm feeling a bit more in control with this information. Thankyou.
thank you so much for your replies everyone.....more ideas to Google 
he's just about to transfer to a rehab unit, so hopefully they might be able to deal with it. He's so keen to get this walking sorted so that he can go home that he won't tell ward staff he doesn't want to eat cos he has no appetite, in case they don't let him go to rehab
he's just about to transfer to a rehab unit, so hopefully they might be able to deal with it. He's so keen to get this walking sorted so that he can go home that he won't tell ward staff he doesn't want to eat cos he has no appetite, in case they don't let him go to rehab Now that my husband has seen his dad and reported back, he has noticed a tremor in his limbs as well. He also, reportedly drools a bit, and I am wondering if that could be linked to swallowing (a couple of weeks ago he was having difficulty swallowing but BiL put it down to him lying down while he was eating (why would a hospital allow a patient to eat lying down?). The problem in getting started seems still to be there.....physio is trying to get him standing from chair....needs help to do the first one, then after that can do several in a row......trying to keep an open mind but does this sound like parkinsonism, and if it does, wouldn't the physio have picked up on it? Hoping my husband can catch someone medical today, but being a physio rehab the dr there seems to be more for if someone sprains their ankle doing the exercises, rather than 'proper' medical stuff
With Parkinsonism rigidity can be ratchet like, a common test is 'cogwheel elbow'. When the arm is gently flexed movement is not smooth, the joint appears to catch at intervals.
@charlie10
@charlie10
update on the 'initiation' problem....since yesterday he seems to have overcome that, my husband thinks it was perhaps a muscle power problem rather than brain, but we have added double incontinence (ferociously denied) to the list and he seems to be having intermittent mental cognition signs more often.....almost seems as if his physical improvement is matched by mental deterioration
