standing out of chair,,,,i so need advise

[caring a]

hi all,,
my poor mum seems to forget how to push up out of her chair at times,,,she asks to go comode but when i bring it she says now how do i stand,,,,,i tell her push up est,,but she doesnt get it,,,gets upset,,then with my help lifting her up ,she stands and seems ok
im getting so upset,im looking at lifting recliners now,,think this will help,,but what happens when she carnt get out of chair,,do i ring ambulance or who,,,,,,,,
i never thought this dam illness could beat me,,but it sure is giving me a run 4 my money...
and poor mum once sat down again bless her,,is content and smiling again,,until the next time,,,,,,
have you good people come accross this in your caring times pleae,,
love to you all as ever,,
xxx

 

[jeany123]

Could you ask for the occupational therapist to come and see your mum they would be able to give advice and the loan of anything they think will help,


Best wishes Jeany x

 

[FifiMo]

Hiya,

Part of the problem with dementia is that it can damage the part of the brain that deals with process and logic. This disconnect can cause problems like your mum is experiencing. In order to avoid her becoming upset, I would perhaps avoid trying to give instructions especially when, by now, you know that these are not going to help. The instructions also reinforce the problem for your mum and this is why she then gets upset about not being able to understand or get her body to follow what she is asking it to do.

I would immediately go to help her out of the chair and even if she says she can't do it, then reassure her - tell her its ok - we all get like that some days - then help her out of the chair. A riser chair might help but she might have difficulty operating it herself so you might need to do that for her too. Bear in mind also that a riser chair also requires the ability to follow a process and if she is losing the ability to do that then there is a danger that she could slide to the floor as the chair rises rather than standing up.

A OT assessment is necessary to find the right solution for you and your mum. In the meantime, then I would phone and ask for help - paramedics are happy to give assistance if someone falls of cannot move plus they know the correct way to handle someone so they don't get injured themselves, which is something you need to make sure of for yourself.

I hope you find the right solution for you both. It must be frightening to be in this situation.

Fiona

 

[caring a]

Hiya,

Part of the problem with dementia is that it can damage the part of the brain that deals with process and logic. This disconnect can cause problems like your mum is experiencing. In order to avoid her becoming upset, I would perhaps avoid trying to give instructions especially when, by now, you know that these are not going to help. The instructions also reinforce the problem for your mum and this is why she then gets upset about not being able to understand or get her body to follow what she is asking it to do.

I would immediately go to help her out of the chair and even if she says she can't do it, then reassure her - tell her its ok - we all get like that some days - then help her out of the chair. A riser chair might help but she might have difficulty operating it herself so you might need to do that for her too. Bear in mind also that a riser chair also requires the ability to follow a process and if she is losing the ability to do that then there is a danger that she could slide to the floor as the chair rises rather than standing up.

A OT assessment is necessary to find the right solution for you and your mum. In the meantime, then I would phone and ask for help - paramedics are happy to give assistance if someone falls of cannot move plus they know the correct way to handle someone so they don't get injured themselves, which is something you need to make sure of for yourself.

I hope you find the right solution for you both. It must be frightening to be in this situation.

Fiona

thks fiona, very helpful indeed,,and i take your point bout lifting chair,,,,,if legs wont work then might cause more probs,,
thks again

 

[gerry200]

My mother can't use the riser bit of her recliner for that very reason - using it, she still has to take the weight on her feet and the process is a bit frightening - have a go on one yourself - it takes a bit of getting used to.

I think my mother is at the same stage in that often her head is not communicating with her feet and she is finding it difficult to transfer. Asking her to straighten her legs when she start to stand works at the moment, but I fear we are moving into a new stage where she is bed bound which is very scary and I need to learn a different set of caring skills with a whole raft of new equipment. We had the social care OT in as an emergency discussing ramps and wheelchairs and hoists and suchlike. The district nurses have been great providing a hospital bed and slide sheets and the care agency is now providing 2 Carers at a time as one can't manage her on their own - which I suppose means I shouldn't too!

Take care and watch your back!

Gerry

 

[Raggedrobin]

my Mum sometimes can't hold herself up to rise because of arthritis in her arms. I hold her as she gets up, and then she leans into her walking frame. I keep a hand on her back to help her feel secure. i admit I lift her under her arms, sometimes. I've been told on here that isn't the best way to do it, but if she is on the bed I find it hard to do it another way.
mum sometimes seems to 'forget' how to work her limbs, and she does the same thing my father did, which is if she is in a wheelchair she sticks her legs straight out, she doesn't understand 'bend your knees' so I have to do it for her.