Treatment after starting hospice

Leanna

Hello,

Unfortunately my mother has injured her knee somehow (not reported to me by facility) and having pain to the point of being unable to bear weight. She was ambulatory (preferably with walker) before this happened. This happened the day before Hospice came to enroll. Now what can be done as far as anything to help? So this makes her non ambulatory from here on out? Wondering what options there are

harshedbuzz

@Leanna

This is a tough one. Since you don't know the details of the fall— and might not even if she were home with you— it's hard to say. Sometimes falls happen as a consequence of the progression of the disease rather than a typical mechanical fall.

You could have her examined and potentially treated by stopping hospice, but given her progression the doctor's visit, X-rays, and potential treatment could be difficult to impossible to make happen. I probably wouldn't explore this is she's not in pain when not weight bearing. She would also be too progressed to recall PT or special instructions (like using a walker) if you were able to get her walking again.

TBH, she might be safer using a wheelchair going forward. My aunt had a post-operative stroke after a TKR not long after she was diagnosed. Her guardian signed off on the surgery because she was about stage 4 and in constant pain. After the stroke she used a wheelchair exclusively and it was fine. Unlike her sister and my dad, this spared her further falls.

My other aunt had a fractured hip and wrist in AL in midstages. She did have treatment including casting and surgery. She could not recall the rules around getting out of bed and family had to supply 24/7 private coverage to redirect her which was hellish given that she didn't have funds or a large family to cover it.

HB