DW Between Walker and Wheelchair - Can PT help me help her?

clkspace

My DW’s dementia started impacting her ability to walk about 18 months ago and her physical abilities have declined since then. I suspect it has been a common progression - furniture walking to walker, wheelchair increasingly needed at times.

I think her cognitive decline would make any physical therapy futile. However, I wonder if any caregivers have gone to physical therapy with their LO as a pair. My hope would be tips on how to help her best move about.

Any experience or thoughts would be appreciated.

Cliff

Ed1937

Cliff, I'm sorry it came to this. Have you tried searching youtube for any hints on how to help her? Just about anything is available there, and it wouldn't surprise me if you found something there.

M1

Hi Cliff, this is so hard: but your instinct is probably right, she probably will not regain the ability to walk. Is she home with you? Have you thought about a hospice evaluation? Once folks are nonambulatory, they generally qualify for hospice. I'm sorry.....

Ed1937

Cliff, I don't know if any of these might help, but take a look to see what you think. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=help+someone+move+between+chair+and+wheelchair

harshedbuzz

@clkspace

I've heard of caregivers having PT (or maybe it's OT-- not sure) come to their home and teach the safest ways for them to assist with transfers and use equipment like hoists.

HB

clkspace

Our current situation is that we are at home together. I have outside caregivers come in 5 days a week for 4 to 8 hrs so I get a break. I am the sole caregiver the rest of the time. DW moves around with walker okay in the morning, but fades as the day wears on.

Thanks for those suggestions. I will check out YouTube. I was think of involving a human therapist with us both so s/he could see my wife’s difficulties and suggest the right amount of help and ways to do it. It is sort of a balancing act. She can walk around the house with her walker and I want her to continue that as long as possible. However, when I take her out in the car it just would no longer make sense for her to walk from the car into a doctor’s office or store with the walker - too slow and not safe. I’ll check out the videos.

Regarding hospice, I’m not sure what the benefit is. I will have to research that a bit. I see a lot of info in these discussions and on the web. Maybe it is time to get educated.

Thanks very much

SDianeL

So sorry your DW's ability to walk is declining. Physical Therapy is usually for someone who can get stronger and better. Sadly Dementia patients don't usually get better. The proper therapist is Definitely OT - Occupational Therapist. Fount this on this ALZ website by searching. Explains what OT can help with.

"Covell, who will speak at the Rocky Mountain Conference on Dementia, identified several of the key benefits OT can provide:

• Low-tech solutions – there are simple adjustment to the home, such as grab bars, lighting and wheelchair adaptations, that can enhance safety for the person with Alzheimer’s without making the house feel like a hospital.

Part of the occupational therapy process is performing periodic assessments to determine the strengths and areas of need for the person living with dementia. Those assessments will be used to help guide ongoing adjustments in care and coordinate efforts with the family physician."

clkspace

Occupational Therapist - makes sense. I'll look into that.

Cliff

Jo C.

Cliff; I am sorry for what is happening and it does bring multiple new challenges. It may be a good idea to have a one time P.T. visit to the home through Home Health. They will do an assessment and then advise you on the best items to use for helping and can also give advice about wheelchairs best suited to your wife's size and ease of use. Then as part of this . . . have O.T. come to the home; this person can give many helpful hints and advice as what to do withing the house for the immediate needs as well as preparing for future needs.

If your dear wife is entering the end stages of her disease, Hospice can be a wonderful support system and will provide all necessary equipment at no charge to the patient as well as providing a bath aide two to three times a week, a Social Worker, and assign a primary care RN who will come out at intervals and as needed. Just a little knowledge to put in your pocket for the future.

Transport chairs are light weight and easy to use when going to appointments, etc.; however they are not very useful inside a house and are terrible on carpeting. So much to learn and P.T. can be helpful in that regard.

I send best wishes your way; let us know how you are and how things are going; we will be thinking of you.

J.

elainechem

My hubby was in mid-stages when he fell and broke his hip. After we got home following surgery, they had a physical therapist come to the home for awhile. Then, he went to a PT clinic for a time. At the clinic, they thought that it was weird that I insisted on being with him at all times. I guess they had little experience with dementia patients.

He was supposed to do the exercises at home every day. Naturally, he couldn't remember how to do any of them, so I did them with him. I often had to get down on the floor to move his legs the way they wanted. It was very confusing for him.

Did it help him? Who knows? I met a man in my support group whose wife was in stage 7 when she took a fall. She had a hip replacement, but they told him that she would never walk again. She never had PT. Lo and behold! After a few weeks, she was feeling better and she was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair. Then she began standing and trying to take a few steps. Soon, she was walking all around the house just like she used to. She passed away about four months later. I don't think the fall hastened her death. It was just her time.

Will PT help your wife? Maybe. You can try it. I've also heard that yoga can help with balance.

clkspace

Thanks to all of you for the information. Just what I was hoping for.

Cliff