Bedridden Opinion, Please.

Judi57

Do you believe that once bedridden the loved one's health declines faster?  I've noticed a significant decline over the five weeks my DH has been in bed.  Less consumption of calories (2000 a week), more tired, more confusion, and difficulty of following directions are a few of the changes I've seen.

Judi

dayn2nite2

Bedridden as in never leaving bed anymore (not going into a wheelchair or geri-chair to come out of their room to be with others, whether it's just watching TV or being in a communal area) generally will occur in the very last part of the disease, but everyone is different.

Has he been seen by a medical person lately?  I'm assuming he is already on hospice?  No UTI, no other illness lately?

Judi57

dayn2nite2 wrote:

Has he been seen by a medical person lately?  I'm assuming he is already on hospice?  No UTI, no other illness lately?

Yes, he never leaves his bed.  He's been immobile for most of the disease and just recently became bedridden.  

I communicate with his doctor frequently, and he is enrolled with hospice.  No illnesses, no UTI.   He's just declining more now that he is in bed all the time.  He does have TV and music but sleeps/rests for about 17-18 hours a day.

BethL

Judi, prolonged bedrest has its dangers: "Prolonged bed rest and immobilization inevitably lead to complications. Such complications are much easier to prevent than to treat. Musculoskeletal complications include loss of muscle strength and endurance, contractures and soft tissue changes, disuse osteoporosis, and degenerative joint disease. Cardiovascular complications include an increased heart rate, decreased cardiac reserve, orthostatic hypotension, and venous thromboembolism."

Marie58

Judi, I'm sorry your DH is at this point. It's just so heartbreaking to watch them decline and go through all this.

As far as a faster decline when bedridden: I think it's like the chicken or the egg, which came first? In our case, DH had a fall 13 months ago and has been completely bedridden since. He was already well into stage 7 and on hospice when this occurred. Did his fall cause more decline or did the decline cause the fall and being bedridden?

DH went from 0-60 very early with his early onset dementia. He worked for 6 months after dx, but he probably should have retired at least 6 months before he did. He declined quickly at first, then gradually but continually pretty much since. However, he's been in stage 7 (and bedridden) for over a year. He continues to decline but hard to say if it's faster than before.

Bless you and all of us. It's all so hard and sad, to say the least.

Battlebuddy

   I could have written exactly what Marie wrote . We have been at the completely bedridden stage for a year and 4 months. The first year was pretty good considering. But now he seems to be loosing a lot of weight. I look at him and see a much older man than 58 .For example the bones in his hands and ribs are visible. 

   I too am not sure what the bed gets blamed for because that first year he looked pretty good.  

Cherjer

I am so sorry to hear this Judi...do you (and all others who commentted) still have your spouses at home and caring for them while bedridden?

Battlebuddy

My husband is at home. I’m not sure if MC will take them once they are bedridden. It was my understand they have to walk in. He sleeps a lot so I can get a lot done and have some personal/ me time but I don’t go far from this neighborhood. My neighborhood is full of stores so I get out.

Judi57

Cherjer wrote:

I am so sorry to hear this Judi...do you (and all others who commented) still have your spouses at home and caring for them while bedridden?

Yes, Cherjer, he is at home.  Knowing how I react, I'd be at the SNF every day to check on his care.  I can get more done with his being home and sleeping.  He can sleep here just as well as in a nursing home bed.  We have hospice and for the most part is easy to care for.  It may have been a different story if he had been mobile during the beginnings of the dementia.

Judi57

Battlebuddy wrote:

He sleeps a lot so I can get a lot done and have some personal/ me time but I don’t go far from this neighborhood. My neighborhood is full of stores so I get out.

This sounds like me.  I get up early and get things done and also make it to the local grocery  store -2 miles away- if I need to pick up a couple things.  I walk early in the morning and keep a monitor on him the entire time.  

Marie58

Cherjer wrote:

I am so sorry to hear this Judi...do you (and all others who commented) still have your spouses at home and caring for them while bedridden?

My DH has been in MC for 2 years and 4 months. I've thought of bringing him home more than once. I think at this point though, the move would be just too much for him. 

Battlebuddy, after DH had his fall and became bedridden, I was told by a staff member (not an administrator) that had he not been on hospice when this occurred, he would have been asked to leave, most likely to a nursing home. I'm grateful he's been able to stay where he is for more than one reason.