Mum is 72 and in her 7th year of alzheimers diagnosis and lives at home with my 71 year old da who is her carer. Over the past couple of years her depth perception has deterioratied and although she was able to walk needed a wheelchair for outside of the house. Recently she has been admitted to a specialised alzheimers unit as she has lost her mobility. Mum will not stand up, she says she will but when any attempt is made to assist her she gets extemely anxious and screams and cries. On numerous occasions even the words " do u want to go for a walk" will make her cry. My dad and her 6 daughters and 1 son want her home, she was only admitted because she would not show any sign of movement for my dad. I guess what im asking is has anyone else been through the same situation and is there any hope of regaining movement. Ps she has walked twice since been in the unit but realised she has done it and then sits on the ground screaming.
mum screams every time shes asked to stand has anyone else experienced this?
- Thread starter yvonnemc
- Start date
Hello yvonnemc,
welcome to TP - our Mum (82 Alzheimer's) has just today said to us that she can't walk very far and that her legs don't seem to be working. She has had back pain for years (well before AD was diagnosed) and is very stooped. At the moment she has a UTI - so everything is a bit confused...
Has your Mum been seen by a doctor in the unit?
I wonder if your Mum is in pain, but not able to express it? possibly even toe nail problems? knees or back ?
or, as you say she has depth perception problems - does she feel dizzy or insecure when walking? I'm presuming that she has a walking frame to assist her?
best wishes, Elizabeth.
welcome to TP - our Mum (82 Alzheimer's) has just today said to us that she can't walk very far and that her legs don't seem to be working. She has had back pain for years (well before AD was diagnosed) and is very stooped. At the moment she has a UTI - so everything is a bit confused...
Has your Mum been seen by a doctor in the unit?
I wonder if your Mum is in pain, but not able to express it? possibly even toe nail problems? knees or back ?
or, as you say she has depth perception problems - does she feel dizzy or insecure when walking? I'm presuming that she has a walking frame to assist her?
best wishes, Elizabeth.
Hi yvonnemc
I'm sorry if my post upsets you, but I've found fear of the unknown worse.
Two years ago my husband, who is now in the late stages of vascular dementia, was taken to A&E because he was unable to stand. He too became extremely anxious when any attempt was made to help him.
The dr said that he was paralysed with fear.
After several weeks in hospital it was decided he needed to be in a nursing home.
He never walked again. He has never attempted to stand again, which in a strange way is a blessing as he has had no falls which had happened regularly.
The home found he was calmer using a stand aid rather than a sling.
As the illness has progressed his body goes rigid whenever he is touched, again probably due to fear, which makes personal care difficult and always requires 2 carers.
I've always wanted my husband to be here with me, but I'm physically unable to care for him on my own. You have a large wonderful family to help with the caring and the hospital will be able to offer help with a bed etc..
I'm sorry I can't give you the hope you were looking for but send you my best wishes.
I'm sorry if my post upsets you, but I've found fear of the unknown worse.
Two years ago my husband, who is now in the late stages of vascular dementia, was taken to A&E because he was unable to stand. He too became extremely anxious when any attempt was made to help him.
The dr said that he was paralysed with fear.
After several weeks in hospital it was decided he needed to be in a nursing home.
He never walked again. He has never attempted to stand again, which in a strange way is a blessing as he has had no falls which had happened regularly.
The home found he was calmer using a stand aid rather than a sling.
As the illness has progressed his body goes rigid whenever he is touched, again probably due to fear, which makes personal care difficult and always requires 2 carers.
I've always wanted my husband to be here with me, but I'm physically unable to care for him on my own. You have a large wonderful family to help with the caring and the hospital will be able to offer help with a bed etc..
I'm sorry I can't give you the hope you were looking for but send you my best wishes.
This sound exactly like my mum is now. She went to A&E after a fall, they sent her to a care home for week's respite to get over a UTI but she has since then been unwilling/unable to stand or move without the support of two carers. I'm really frightened that she will be like your husband because all she says over and over again is that she is too frightened of falling to try. What of earth will she (and we) do if it turns out this situation is permanent
My MIL was exactly the same. She cried out when the carers tried to move her or when she tried to stand up. I think it was the fear that she was unable to do it.
She had several falls at home, resulting in trips to A & E, where luckily there was nothing broken. It was explained to us that she wanted to walk, but her brain had forgotten how to compute the movements. After her last fall she was deemed to be no longer safe to be at home and entered a NH. There was a glimmer of an improvement for a very short while, but eventually she became immobile.
She had several falls at home, resulting in trips to A & E, where luckily there was nothing broken. It was explained to us that she wanted to walk, but her brain had forgotten how to compute the movements. After her last fall she was deemed to be no longer safe to be at home and entered a NH. There was a glimmer of an improvement for a very short while, but eventually she became immobile.
Thank you all for your responses. Mum is still in the speciailst unit and still scared to walk or stand up. We are hoping to get her home in acouple of weeks with the proper care package, hoist, hospital bed etc. Even though she cant walk and is now wheelchair bound, she still has her personality and is pretty xound in mind so cant wait until she comes home as being in the unit is making her withdrawn and frustrated.
