Loved one keeps falling - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

JK26 · 03-14-2005, 11:18 AM

My grandmother has AD and about a year ago she fell 8 times in one week, ended up fracturing her shoulder and breaking her elbow, plus many bruises and cuts. After physical therapy and many ER visits she is finally better. Up until last week no falls, now she has started to fall again. This weekend she fell at 2 in the morning, thankfully no broken bones, just a badly scratched elbow. What are the causes of these falls? She walks with a walker and has a cane. Also, there is nothing for her to trip on we have safety checked the house.
thanks

LuvMyLilDoggie · 03-14-2005, 12:01 PM

How is her blood pressure? Has she been checked for ear infections? Does she get dizzy?
Barb

BarbaraH · 03-14-2005, 03:59 PM

Hi -

Sorry your grandmother is in this situation. I know how distressing it is.

My Mom also had AD and in the spring of 2002, began using a walker. That same autumn, she fell over backwards 4 times in 3 months causing 4 ER visits, 2 CT scans, and one head laceration that needed stitches. I suspected she needed to be in a wheelchair, but didn't want that if she could be helped another way. I asked her doctor to request a physical therapy evaluation and so a therapist came three times a week for 3 weeks and that is when I met him. He told me that exercises would help Mom, but she didn't have the strength to do them and also could not remember what to do, how to do them, or even to exercise at all. I was told given the stage of her AD (about 6), she should be in a wheelchair before she broke a bone. It didn't matter to Mom that she was in a wheelchair, she never fell again, and lived another 19 months.

That's how we best cared for Mom. Hope you can find the right help your grandmother needs.

Wishing you well - Barbara

Neenee · 03-14-2005, 10:24 PM

My Dad started falling years before he passed away. He started loosing his balance. His dementia affected his motor skills. At first he fell just every now and then. It got worse as time went on. Even when he was only able to take a few steps he still though he could walk. We couldn't turn our back on him. He lived 7 yrs after that and had to have around the clock care. He could still push himself up before you could bat an eye. It was so hard on him and the family. We would get him out of bed and wheel him in a
wheelchair to his lift chair in the living room and we would just have to watch him every minute. We did get on some what of a routine and that helped a little. If we went to the bathroom we would put something across his chair to hold him in but even that wasn't enough sometimes.

He was just used to doing things on his own and if he felt the urge to do something it was natural for him to try and get up I guess.

Schmam · 03-14-2005, 10:29 PM

The question is, is she always using the walker or cane? In truth, a cane does not give much stability whatsoever unless there is a great amount of control behind it. If you are off balance, you must know how to use the cane and be able to do it to get back in balance. If she stops using the walker, even for a second and falls, this could also cause it. You might say that she does, but remember she does have AD. She might forget. If she is unable to use them or forgets to, they don't help her get around, and it is safer for her to be in a wheelchair.