JK26
03-14-2005, 02:18 PM
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
thanks
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LuvMyLilDoggie
03-14-2005, 03:01 PM
How is her blood pressure? Has she been checked for ear infections? Does she get dizzy?
Barb
Barb
BarbaraH
03-14-2005, 06:59 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
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
03-15-2005, 01:24 AM
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.
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
03-15-2005, 01:29 AM
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.
Jaysea
03-27-2005, 06:38 AM
My mother was falling all the time, broke her hip twice and her pelvis once. She has to be in a wheelchair with a seatbelt on it that she can't get open ,otherwise she'd keep falling. She originally started falling due to her B-12 deficiency, which wasn't being adequately treated by her incompetent MD.
angel_bear
03-27-2005, 08:50 AM
there's alot of incompetent MD's in the world .. which is sad .. because so many people miss out .....
we've ALL been affected .....
Hugs
Sally
we've ALL been affected .....
Hugs
Sally
LuvMyLilDoggie
03-27-2005, 03:48 PM
You got that right! I had an incompitent doc who dx'd me with PMS, stress, anxiety and depression among other things. I spent 8 or 9 months feeling like it was the end of the world for me. I remember praying to God and saying "if you're going to take me, please take me because I can't take this anymore". I was in the ER 5x in 8 months, had one 3 day hospital stay and was at the doctor once every 3-4 weeks with chest pains. Had all kinds of tests for my heart and found out there was nothing wrong with that. The last time I went to the ER, a wonderful doctor listened me and really believed what I said. She told me she was going to do a blood test and 10 minutes later she came back and said "I think I've found out what's causing your problems." I was SOOO relieved when she told me that. She said "You have hypothyroidism. Make an appt with your doctor." So I did. Then this guy tells me "There's no way you can feel as bad as you do." EXCUSE ME??? Are you ME??? Needless to say, I have another doctor and I'm still getting my meds adjusted. I have to go in every three months for blood tests until everything is where it should be.
I went through a similar situation with my dad too but I nipped that in the bud right away. He wasn't going to go through what I had gone through. No way.
Barb
I went through a similar situation with my dad too but I nipped that in the bud right away. He wasn't going to go through what I had gone through. No way.
Barb