Fracture vertebrae

JC5

DH fell down the basement stairs last night. Concussion 4 fractured vertebrae in ICU waiting results of tests to determine next step! I assume the trauma has exacerbated his dementia! He can’t remember what happened can’t understand what is going on etc. Keeps repeating the same concerns and question! Will this improve once trauma subsides? Or is this just going to make things worse?

Ed1937

JC, I'm so sorry for both of you. What an ordeal! I don't think anyone can tell you how this will affect him. If he needs surgery, that could complicate matters too. We'll be praying that nothing has to be done, and things smooth out for both of you.

jfkoc

How horrible for both of you.

Time will tell just how much this accident and the aftermath affect your husband.

Please try to have someone with him 24/7. Hospital staff is not trained to care for persons with dementia.

Please keep us updated........

David J

I am sorry this happen!  Based on my trips to the ER with my wife, and subsequent stays in the hospital, I second jfkoc’s advice to have someone with him 24 seven. I won’t go into details, but if I hadn’t been with my wife on several occasions she would have suffered negative consequences. Not only are staff undereducated about dementia, most hospitals are severely understaffed. Good luck, and I’ll be thing of you.

Faith,Hope,Love

JC5, you've been given some very good advice.  Stay in the hospital with him 24/7 if you can.  My DH was in the hospital last week for a fall.  He had a fractured shoulder cap and some fractured back ribs.  He stayed in the hospital for 3 days.  I was unable to stay with him 24/7 due to the hurricane.  They failed to give him the Seroquel he normally takes, and they gave him some opioid pain killers.  His behavior was erratic, and the pain pills seemed to make it worse.  It took me quite a while to get him back to what I would consider normal.  We visited the ortho doctor a week after his discharge.  She indicated that you have to be really careful treating pain with a patient that has dementia.  She was able to give us some alternative meds for pain and they seem to be working very well.

Joydean

JC so sorry to hear. I know that had to have been a very scary time for both of you. I believe others are right in that someone needs to be at hospital with your husband all the time he is in hospital. Prayers for you and your husband.

Quilting brings calm

Speaking from personal experience, fractured vertebrae are painful.  I’ve had two- one each two months apart (T1 and then L3 two months later).   I don’t have much residual issues from the T1, but the L3 still aches 8 months later.There is arthritis above and below it though too.  I didn’t have surgery, but I had to wear a  full thoracic cervical brace for the first one full time for several weeks. And then wean out of it.  A corset brace for the second one, same thing.   Showering was a big problem with the T1 as I was required to stand still in the shower and my husband soaped me up and rinsed me off.  I had  a special shower brace to use too. I spent a lot of time lying down and asleep

Edited to add:   I had several weeks of physical therapy and twice daily exercises at home after each one too.  

M1

JC I am so sorry.  This could easily be a lethal injury.  Are you clear in your own mind what measures he (and you) would or would not want?  Hard to project without knowing what stage of dementia your husband has, but I would think comfort above all else.  But the pain medications can really throw someone with dementia into a downward spiral--constipation, delerium, etc.  Please keep us posted when you can.

toolbeltexpert

JC I have not got much advice,but when my dw went to the er. I stayed with her all the time,only 11 hrs but I could tell it would have been a nightmare for her, the staff seemed glad I was there and they didn't seemed geared towards a dementia patient. 

From what I have read about dementia and anesthesia if it is needed takes someone who has experience which can have a good outcome. But every pwd is different.i will be praying for you both.

Hoot619

JC, Have you both in my prayers

JC5

Wow you all have given me such great advice! Thank you! Thank goodness he doesn’t need surgery. He was fitted with a brace yesterday and has PT today. He is so uncomfortable and wants to come home. I’d prefer he go to inpatient rehab for a week before coming home to gain more strength. Our only bathroom at home is up a flight of stairs (uncarpeted) and I am concerned. I will get carpet for the stairs but not in time for him to come home. With or without he can still lose his balance. We will see what happens. Thank you all !

Ed1937

JC, is it possible for him to stay upstairs while recovering?

Twin Mom

I am sure you have already thought of it...but baby gates at top and bottom of stairs so he can't go unassisted.  Hopefully tall enough and difficult to unlatch so he can't try to crawl over or go unassisted.  Also, if he needs assistance ...my worry is that he accidentally pulls you down with him.

Joydean

JC can you push for inpatient rehab, since the bathroom is up stairs? Do the doctors think he can get up the stairs? Just throwing questions out there that would be helpful.

mommyandme (m&m)

A bedside commode might work well during his rehab when he’s back home.