Mom's first fall

pjasso · August 31

Just felt like sharing, it's so therapeutic, thank you for this platform. My mom, 91, mid to mod (more moderate) ALZ (for 3 years), lives in AL, without added support, but they keep an eye on her and she's not allowed to leave the building without family. She lives in an apartment with pull cord for emergencies by bed and in bathroom, and I always wondered if she'd remember to use it if needed. Well, she took her first fall at 3am, in the bathroom. I've always said my mom will live to 100+ because she is strong and physically healthy. She uses a walker for confidence and she can move faster and safer. Her fall was a wake-up call to me that she isn't physically fallible. She fell down, hit her head, and was bleeding. She did not pull the cord, but got back to her bedroom and used her phone to call the front desk . . . ambulance ride to hospital, 9 staples in her head, CT neg, released by 6:30am. She went home and slept a couple hours and then really was quite fine, but tired . . . but it was a wake-up call for me, and now I just worry about it happening again. I know I am super careful in the middle of the night and feel my own vulnerability at age 70 and I'm very active, so I wonder what mom is like in the middle of the night . . . just sharing, I now sense her mortality for the first time.

April23 · August 31

I’m so sorry and glad she is ok!! Both of my dad’s most severe falls were in the bathroom unassisted. AL was not enough for him. That’s great though that she had the wherewithal and ability to call for help, my dad couldn’t even manage a call button (calling on it repeatedly to ask about his car).

I’m sorry, been there for sure. I never really slept again until I moved him but he had repeated falls and severe ones. My dad has LBD so falls were going to happen it was just a matter of when.

pjasso · August 31

I don't necessarily expect her to fall again (soon); she still seems pretty steady on her feet. I don't know what caused her fall this time. She said she was reaching for her walker, but I think she felt backwards and hit the back of her head.

I also don't understand if she gets "assistance" in AL, which she doesn't, how do they know when she has to get up to use the bathroom?

harshedbuzz · August 31

@pjasso

It sounds like your mom's days in AL are coming to an end. Alzheimer's is progressive and impacts more than memory. Mobility is impacted not just by strength but also by things like spatial reasoning, visual processing and proprioception. Once a PWD has a fall, you can expect it will happen again.

In AL, there's generally a daily check when meds are distributed or if multiple meals are missed, but the risk is next time she could have a fracture and be unable to call or the executive function to make the call could be lost. My cousin placed her mom in AL when MC would have been a better fit; aunt had a fall and spent as many as18 hours on the floor with a broken hip. At dad's MCF, an aide did a physical well check every 2 hours overnight.

I'm so sorry this happened to you both.

HB

atl86 · August 31

There will be more falls as the dementia progresses. It is hard to know when it is time for additional support of some kind. If the AL has a MC section, the AL staff or management may alert you when it is time for the move to MC. If there is no MC section in the AL, I recommend that you start looking and get on the waiting list(s).

Quilting brings calm · September 1

Mom fell three times the last year she was alive. Mostly trying to get in/out of bed. The second one landed her in the hospital for a couple days. The AL staff took her mattress and box springs off the bed frame and put them on the floor. She didn’t like it, but it reduced the distance she could fall.
It’s a sad reality that falls will happen. Even if someone is standing right next to them.

pjasso · September 26

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/281253#Comment_281253

Thanks, I'm looking and considering . . . but she is doing well in AL, even without support. The staff is very consistent and know her well. It is true there are no cameras, monitor or sensors in her apt, but my mom is a big presence, (not always a good thing!) and they keep and eye on her. The time will come, but for now, I just hold my breath and am grateful she is happy where she is.

Emily 123 · September 27

Hi, Just to chime in…falls will come and, as you are seeing, she will lose the ability to rescue herself. You could see if the facility would add check ins to her care plan at shift change, but this won't really prevent her from falling. And that applies to whether she's in AL or MC. You just can't station someone next to her 24/7 unless you pay for private nursing.

Mom's first fall

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