The meeting yesterday went really well. There was the nurse who's over the Rehab ward, the physio, the OT, mum & me. They are really pleased with mum's progress, but were also careful about making sure she understood that from now on, she just cannot take risks like she had been. Mum has needed two crutches for several years, but she always refused to use two, and would stagger around unevenly, with just one crutch. They said she will be using a frame or two crutches. And they told her that going around the house with neither frame nor crutches is just not on. She's a very high falls risk, and shouldn't be taking the chance, as this time, she was very lucky. She might not be so lucky next time.
They had had mum in the OT gym yesterday morning. It's a fully functional kitchen, where patients can practise independent living skills, like filling a kettle and making tea, light cooking, doing laundry, taking things down (and putting back) items from kitchen cupboards, etc.
The nurse said they will be applying again for the two visits a week from a Care Assistant, but she said that reality is there are no hours available, and no funding, so mum will go on a waiting list which stretches to infinity! She also warned mum that she must under no circumstances be standing up in the bath to wash her hair! She must remain on the bath seat. "Otherwise" she said "We'd have to insist that you don't shower unless someone is in the bathroom with you." So, faced with that, mum agreed that she would not stand up! Doesn't seem to have occurred to mum, thankfully, that really, we would have no way of knowing whether she was standing up in the shower or not!
So, Tuesday next, we have a home visit from the OT, when I will collect mum and take her to her house, and the OT will come to see how she is at home, and advise on any other equipment she needs, and then they are aiming to discharge mum on Thursday or Friday next week.
TBH, this Rehab has been the best thing ever for mum. She has come on so much. She has had all the physio that she should have got six or seven years ago, when she broke her hip, but didn't. And they have given her exercises to do herself, which will help her with her balance and maintaining her mobility etc. Mentally, mum is back to where she was before she fell. If anything, she's a bit sharper than she had been! And her incontinence has improved beyond belief. So, all is looking good.
Weirdly, it seems as if falling & breaking her ankle was the best thing that could have happened to mum!