Mum took a tumble

[Shash7677]

I'm going to start by apologising as I don't care for mum as some of you will know, she is in a NH but wasn't sure where else to post.

Mum had a fall this morning in her room around 5am. The senior carer for the night shift was checking the residents rooms on mums floor, she must have been in mums corridor as she heard the thud, there's only mum and another lady in her part of the corridor and the other lady is bedridden in a hospital type bed with sides so she knew it was mum and bless her went running.

Mum was on her feet and at the door to her room, the lady asked if she was ok, where she had bumped etc and kept a close eye on her. She must have ring the home manager who is a Registered psychiatric nurse who went in to check mum as well, made sure she wasn't concussed (at that moment in time) etc etc. they decided she didn't need the doctor, she has a black eye and a graze over her eye and has been observed all day as she will be over night too. Concussion has a nasty habit of creeping up on you when you least expect it doesn't it!!! I remember sending children home from school with head injuries and begging parents to keep an eye on them, any change, any feeling poorly, sick, headache etc then doctors straight away.

The home rung my dad at a reasonable time and told him what had happened.

I just don't understand how she fell? She's usually so stable on her feet. There is a query over whether she fell out of bed or not, I can't see it but you never can tell. She has a small bedside cabinet at the side of her bed so she could I suppose have bumped her head on that.

I know falls happen, it's one of those things but its not happened before. Mum has angina, it's fairly bad, well she has the spray for under her tongue and enough tablets to make her rattle!!! Maybe her blood pressure was a little low, maybe she stood up too quick, felt disorientated??? I've no idea and we won't ever know.

The NH manager has said they will keep an eye on her especially if she is wandering which she doesn't do so much now. It's just a worry, is it her heart, is it just an AD thing or was it just a freak tumble that won't happen again for a bit?

Who knows. Not sure why I'm posting, maybe because its hard to talk to anyone else, took my kids butting in half way through conversations!!!!!

Thanks for listening to my ramble,

Sharon x

 

[CeliaW]

That's a worry Sharon but at least it seems the NH has good checking routine and are aware of issues.

I was a bit confused by your comment about not caring for your Mum - and first of all thought you meant care as in like. But then I think you meant care for as in hands on care but although it may not be in that specific hands on way - it still belongs in this forum as, from your posts, its obvious you do "care for a person with dementia" very much!

I do hope there are no long lasting effects for your Mum. Have they thought about putting a sensor mat by her bed so they know if she gets up in the night?

Take care

Celia

 

[Noorza]

It's usually all part and parcel of dementia as their balance fails. Mum was falling up to three times a week at times in her own home but no one not even a CH can be there 24/7/ The first person to mention dementia to me was an ambulance man who came for the umpteenth fall call.

Clearly monitor it but it's so common, sorry. xx

 

[zelana]

This afternoon I had a conversation with the nurse at Mum's care home. His Mum died recently. She had Alzheimers and was in a care home some distance away. One of the things he said was that he was glad his Mum hadn't had to go through the 'falls stage' of Alzheimers so it seems some sufferers do become unsteady on their feet and fall.

Mum had a random fall in her room several months ago but hasn't had another one. Maybe your Mum's fall will just be a one off.

 

[Shash7677]

Sorry Celia, yes I meant hands on care lol. The home have been really good and have a routine of checking residents every 15 minutes or so anyway so they are pretty vigilant thankfully.

Fingers crossed its a one off but as we know it may not be. No more falls this week though I hope.

Sharon x

 

[CollegeGirl]

Sorry to hear this, Shash, and hope she recovers quickly. I still see my mam falling on our front step and cracking her head on the corner of the brick porch. Awful. Hope it's just a one-off for your mum, poor thing. xx