Bed downstairs?

[Cobber]

Mum has had dementia for 9 years, very slow decline. She has dipped again and gp has suggested end of life care, which means hospital bed. But do we have this upstairs or put in room downstairs. We have capacity for this and bathroom next door. However she is used to going upstairs to bed, so would thi adjetate her more. If she was downstairs we could sometimes have a night sitter so we could have a full night's sleep. But if it makes her more upset is it worth it.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Shedrech]

hi @Cobber
sorry to hear of your mum's decline

I appreciate your concern about your mum's reaction, though I'm wondering how long she will be able to safely use the stairs (later moving the hospital bed will be tricky) .. is it possible to try out a move before the bed comes ie move her current bed downstairs for a trial ... maybe make her new room look as like her current room as possible so it doesn't feel completely unfamiliar

I can't help thinking that what makes caring for your mum easier will be the better option when nothing will be ideal

 

[Weasell]

I used to do home visits with the night nurse some time ago.
The hospital beds were nearly always downstairs, I can’t even remember one being upstairs
It may worth phoning you local district nurses for their opinion. If you phone the GP they will provide a contact phone number

 

[RosettaT]

My OH has his bed down stairs because he was 100% immobile when he came out of hospital, my thought was once he was upstairs thats where he would have stay, there would be no going out for him and even tho it meant me pushing him a wheelchair, down stairs is what I thought would be best for him. Later when I got organised I offered to have a through floor lift put in so he could sleep upstairs again but he was/is happy where he is.

 

[Cobber]

hi @Cobber
sorry to hear of your mum's decline

I appreciate your concern about your mum's reaction, though I'm wondering how long she will be able to safely use the stairs (later moving the hospital bed will be tricky) .. is it possible to try out a move before the bed comes ie move her current bed downstairs for a trial ... maybe make her new room look as like her current room as possible so it doesn't feel completely unfamiliar

I can't help thinking that what makes caring for your mum easier will be the better option when nothing will be ideal

Thank you.

My OH has his bed down stairs because he was 100% immobile when he came out of hospital, my thought was once he was upstairs thats where he would have stay, there would be no going out for him and even tho it meant me pushing him a wheelchair, down stairs is what I thought would be best for him. Later when I got organised I offered to have a through floor lift put in so he could sleep upstairs again but he was/is happy where he is.

Thank you, helped me.

 

[Cobber]

hi @Cobber
sorry to hear of your mum's decline

I appreciate your concern about your mum's reaction, though I'm wondering how long she will be able to safely use the stairs (later moving the hospital bed will be tricky) .. is it possible to try out a move before the bed comes ie move her current bed downstairs for a trial ... maybe make her new room look as like her current room as possible so it doesn't feel completely unfamiliar

I can't help thinking that what makes caring for your mum easier will be the better option when nothing will be ideal

Thank you

 

[canary]

Hospital beds are heavy. Im not sure that the people who deliver it would be willing to transport it upstairs.

 

[GillPJ]

We've done everything over the years - mum's been with us since 2006, though was just slightly infirm then. When she came to live with us we put in a second staircase so that she could have a stair lift, and a shower room downstairs later when we moved her bed downstairs. So now we have a redundant second staircase and chair lift, and she can no longer get to the shower room. I do feel a bit resentful that we've wrecked our house for a couple of years of use, but you never know, one of us may need these things in the future.
So now, she has a hospital bed downstairs, I have a waterproof wheelchair/commode that I can get into the shower with difficulty. She's quite used to having a bed downstairs, she can watch TV from it, though she no longer does that either, and it always was her own sitting room so doesn't feel that strange probably. Initially she wanted to get upstairs occasionally, but she's come to realise she can't even do that.