The speed!

[totallyconfused]

I cant get over the speed at which my mother can move! Seconds and she's outside or she moves through the house, room to room at incredible speed!

But then when we walk to the shops or whatever, she takes baby steps. Huge change in the way she walks.

Its strange. Sometimes I feel Im reading too much in to this, watching her closely but feel I have to.

 

[nitram]

I can emphasise with that.

Sometimes the movement seemed well planned and devious.

It brought home the real meaning of 24/7 - not 23.59/7!!!

 

[rhubarbtree]

Oh yes. Complacent me thinks I know what he is thinking and where he is and then I find him painting a door! This was yesterday. He left his chair, opened the garage, found paintbrush, opened tin. I swear in ten seconds.

 

[canary]

Yes indeed. Mum has hardly any mobility now, but last year even though she would normally walk really slowly - show her an open door and she'd be up the road faster than you could blink. I darnt take my eye off her for a second.

 

[Canadian Joanne]

Perhaps the quickness is due to the familiar surroundings and not the greater, scarier world outside.

I didn't have a lot of worries about Mum disappearing, just a couple of times. My worries were her using anyone who annoyed her as a punching bag. And she was EASILY annoyed.

 

[Aisling]

I cant get over the speed at which my mother can move! Seconds and she's outside or she moves through the house, room to room at incredible speed!

But then when we walk to the shops or whatever, she takes baby steps. Huge change in the way she walks.

Its strange. Sometimes I feel Im reading too much in to this, watching her closely but feel I have to.

Am no help to you but have years of experience with fast movers! OH walks at crawl pace but he can move light lightening when he wants to go off on his own. Nano second is all he needs. I shadow him in yard and a few weeks ago he climbed over gate and away. Our home is now like Fort Knox, locks everywhere, secure windows etc.

Loads of support,

Aisling xx

 

[Jennyc]

My husband usually walks so slowly I have to keep stopping and waiting, even when going at a snail's pace! But walking the half mile to the village shop last week with him and two small grandchildren, 1 and 4, (very slow walk with little one pushing pushchair) he must have just not noticed us enter shop. Usually I wait to usher him in, but concentrating on children, on this occasion I didn't.

In there a couple of minutes, realised he wasn't, came outside and absolutely no sign of him! Four roads he could have taken, as it's almost at a crossroads, but nothing and no-one to be seen in any direction. No quick way of getting home again with two little ones, but finally made it and set off in car to see if we could find grandad. Luckily a neighbour had spotted him about a mile further on, phoned my mobile and took him home. He must have sprinted the minute I wasn't with him!

 

[totallyconfused]

!

My husband usually walks so slowly I have to keep stopping and waiting, even when going at a snail's pace! But walking the half mile to the village shop last week with him and two small grandchildren, 1 and 4, (very slow walk with little one pushing pushchair) he must have just not noticed us enter shop. Usually I wait to usher him in, but concentrating on children, on this occasion I didn't.

In there a couple of minutes, realised he wasn't, came outside and absolutely no sign of him! Four roads he could have taken, as it's almost at a crossroads, but nothing and no-one to be seen in any direction. No quick way of getting home again with two little ones, but finally made it and set off in car to see if we could find grandad. Luckily a neighbour had spotted him about a mile further on, phoned my mobile and took him home. He must have sprinted the minute I wasn't with him!

wow, that must have been scary! And two little kids with you as well.

Sometimes I knock myself and I say Im being too parqnoid etc especially when I see how good she is when others visit but now, im just going to trust my gut and keep a close eye on her. Its different being here during the day and night than popping in for an hour or so. I have to start giving myself some credit and stop second guessing myself!

The fear I felt when she got lost before Christmas was gut wrenching. Thankfully a neighbour brought her home.

 

[Rodelinda]

Some of those incidents sound really scary. But the basic point is familiar. My mother walks incredibly slowly and painfully, really bent over. But she has episodes, usually when she's half awake and dreaming and certainly not with us, when she moves like greased lightning. The other day she unbolted the front door and was half way to the road before my OH caught up with her - she was walking fast and upright. And not long ago she climbed the stairs in the middle of the night (she hasn't been able to do this for 3 years since a fall and usually struggles even with a small threshold). We managed to get her back down while she was still in the altered state and put her back to bed. She then doesn't remember (which is just as well!) Watching out for it is part of the stress of caring for me - even when I'm trying to work or sitting down in the evening I'm alert to every movement. Sue

 

[Jennyc]

Have to admit I was very worried and stressed but didn't want to upset the children. I did lightly mention that if we couldn't spot grandad we might have to call the police. Older grandson was very disappointed when grandad was safely returned, I think he'd quite fancied the drama - very into nee-naw nee-naw!

 

[liz56]

This is exactly how dad 'escaped' twice from CH! He usually needs a wheelchair for anything more than a few yards, so how on earth did he slip through a door and zoom half a mile downhill? I m glad his 'blue badge' isn't due for renewal , wouldn't know how to answer the question about how far he can walk !