She has to be transferred because she can no longer walk. The staff has put an alarm on her bed and chair after about her 3rd fall.
The nurse called me today telling me she fell last night. She has a hematoma on her forehead and bruising around her eyes. They said she is very sleepy since the fall, but they talked to a doctor and he ordered a UTI, a chest x-ray, and did a neurological check. She said her pupils were responsive.
Then she asked if I want them to send her to the ER and I asked what does the doctor suggest and she said with the neuro exam it seems she is okay, so I told them to leave her in nursing home and monitor her and take the other tests they said they were going to give her.
Should I conclude that she is not being given the proper care or assistance since she has fallen so many times? She is 86 years old. She has Parkinson's and some dementia. I am very concerned for her safety and well-being.
It seems most the nursing homes are so understaffed.
As I had mentioned in a prior post, falls can also happen at home with a love one or two trying to do the 24/7 care.
One time someone had mentioned on the forums that her Mom had fallen while there were Nurses and Aides in her room.... it can happen that quickly.
Keeping her safe at night is another issue. I agree with pamstegma in that they will likely put her low to the floor. I'd talk to the Nursing home and ask for all options that could be tried. Bed rails are considered unsafe in most states, but you can ask about it as well as other options. Certainly, they deal with this all the time. I'm not sure I would blame the facility.
It's the nature of the beast, once an elder reaches the last stages of dementia, they forget they cannot stand up and walk. Mom was either falling out of bed or out of her wheelchair.
The bed was lowered and fall mats were placed, and Mom would tumble out of bed. No real injuries, maybe a skinned ankle. So pillows would be arranged around her to keep her in the bed, but somehow she would get sideways in the bed. In the wheelchair she would reach for some imaginary object on the floor and she would roll out.
Eventually a geri-recliner was used with pillow propped under her knees to keep her in that chair... occasionally she would pull the pillow out and try to get out of the chair. The nurses tried a seat-belt but Mom would unbuckle that in an instant. The nurses had my Mom at the nursing station to keep an eye on her.
No different than if Mom was at home, you would go to the bathroom and she would find a way to fall in another room. You would go to the kitchen to fix a meal, Mom would fall. You would go to bed at night, and Mom would fall out of her bed. You can't be glued to the hip 24 hours a day, no different then the Staff at a nursing home.
I briefly talked to the Social Worker on my way out. I was surprised she was still there. But when I voiced my concern about my mom's falls, she basically told me they are not a facility that can monitor my mom 24/7 or one on one.
Well, I thought that was a sad response. Shows how much they care. They seem to be real quick at giving some type of excuse, and sadly, it's like that
at the majority of the nursing homes.
I can't believe there are not stricter laws to protect the helpless elderly people that have to stay in a nursing home.
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