HI, this is my first post in here, i hope to find the help i need.
my mom (53years) she got very sick the last couple of monthes, she has early onset alzheimer's, she is sick for about 5 or 7 years now but the last monthes the stopt walking & stayed in bed.
The prob. is that where i live there is no caring center or any place that shows us how to take care of her, so i & my 2 sis (20.23&25)r takeing care of her by r own experians ( thats nothing) & my grandmother's experianc of taking care of my grandfather who had it & died with it(she is not a real good help).
when my mom stayed in bed we really didnt know that she can get bedsours that r soooo hard to cure & taking care of, so we use to change her clothes when ever we get a chance (we study& take care of the house) but that was not enophe, she got bedsoure now & its soooo bad & it smells bad, we got her a Dr. after a hard time to find one, he gave us some kind of treatment for it, & we r useing it for her but i cant c any emprovment :(
& what bothers me the most is when we change her clothes, we do it on the bed somehow but i really find it so hard & deficalt on both us & her she starts feeling the pain when we try to move her & she looks like she is gonna cry, i really dont feel that we do it the right way, i tryed to search for a web page that shows how to do it but i didnt find. please please help me to find a way to chang for her & take care of her bed soures without hurting her.

please dont say that there r bookes for these kind of things couse here we dont ok?

one more thing, please forgive me couse i really dont know good english to write with.


& remember to always smile :D

Dear Always,
Your English is good enough for us to understand the problem you are having. I feel so sorry for you, and I hope you will get help. It is good that you are not alone. The 3 of you can all help your Mom and each other. That is more than many people here have.

I like your name and poritive attitude. Keep smiling yourself. You say a doctor care and did give you something for her bed sores. Now you have to talk to him about her Alzheimer's Disease, and see if there are any medications she can get. If she can no longer get up out of bed, she is in a very advanced stage .. sorry about that. Isn't there a hospital that would take her in?

I don't know a lot about bed sores except change the persons position very often so no one spot gets all the pressure. Do you have dressings (bandages) to cover the sore with?

Good luck and God bless you. Stick together, you 3 sisters, and help each other...


Love,

Martha

Hi, thanx Martha H. for replying to me.

We did talk to the Dr. & that is all he can do. i need to know how or a page that shows how to change for her in bed, please if any one knows please tell me.
thanx

I hope this helps a little bit, let me try and do this step by step:

Get the patient to lay on their back on the bed. 2 helpers, one at the shoulders and one at the hips, roll the patient onto their side (doesn't matter which side, as long as she doesn't fall off the bed) and pack rolled towels behind her back and in front of her tummy. Approx. every 3 hours, reverse the procedure. Take the towels away, gently roll her onto her back, and then roll her onto the other side and pack in with the towels.

That's rotation.

As for dressing, keep it simple. Get her to lay on her back. 2 helps, either side, beside her shoulders, facing the end of the bed. Scoop your arm closest to her under her armpit and to her elbow. Get a firm grip, and gently lift into a sitting position.

I suggest a simple button up front shirt/nightie if that is possible.

I hope this helps a little bit ....

Hugs
Sally

Ahh ---------- try this (as Sally picks up her Medical Textbooks, blows the dust off and reads ....)


WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Preparations
Keep the following handy: 2 extra pillows, 2 to 3 towels, and a board about 3 feet long by 2 feet wide. Before starting, tell the patient exactly what you plan to do.
General Guidelines
To protect the patient's spine, roll him like a log. If you cannot roll his whole body at once, roll the upper body, then the legs.
To prevent injury to your own back, spread your feet at least 3 feet apart when lifting. Bend forward from the hips, with knees bent and back straight, and straighten your knees as you lift.
Whenever possible, pull or push, rather than lift, and ask the patient to help you by using his feet and arms.
Turning a Patient from His Back to His Side
Spread your feet and bend your knees. Put one arm under the patient's hips and the other under his upper back. With your back straight and knees bent, pull the person toward you.
Put your arms under the patient's legs and align them with the upper body. Your objective is to roll the patient so that he is facing AWAY from you. To do this, put one hand under the hip closest to you and the other hand under the shoulder closest to you. Gently push to lift the hip and shoulder off the bed until the patient is resting on the hip and shoulder farthest from you.
Put both of your arms under the patient's waist and hips. Pull the hips toward you so the buttocks stick out a little. Bend his knees a little and straighten his head to align it with his neck and spine.
To keep the patient in this position, put a pillow snugly against his back, bend his top leg at the hip and knee to form an "L" shape, and put a pillow under the top leg to hold it in place. Also give him a pillow to hold between his arms, and put a folded towel under his bottom knee to keep the ankle off the bed.
Turning a Patient from His Side to His Back
Remove all pillows and towels from the patient's back, legs, and arms, leaving only the pillow under his head.
Standing behind the patient, put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his hip, then gently pull him over onto his back. If this brings him too close to the edge of the bed, move him to the middle as follows: Stand on the side of the bed farthest from the patient. Spread your feet, bend your knees, and put one arm under his hips and the other under his shoulders. With back straight and knees bent, pull the patient toward you. Finish by putting your arms under the patient's legs and aligning them with his upper body.
Rolling a Patient from His Stomach to His Back
Remove any pillows or towels from under the legs, hips, or chest. Pull the patient to the edge of the bed as follows: Spread your feet, bend your knees, and put one arm under his shoulders and the other under his hips. Then, with your back straight and knees bent, pull the patient toward you. Place the patient's arms in a straight line along his sides. Turn his head toward the edge of the bed.
Go to the opposite side of the bed. Your objective is to roll the patient towards you with his face AWAY from you. With your knees bent, lean over the patient and put one hand on the side of the shoulder farthest from you and the other on the side of the hip farthest from you. With both palms down, gently pull the patient's farther side up and toward you until he is resting on the side nearest you.
Complete the maneuver by following the instructions above for turning a patient from his side to his back.
While the patient is on his back, keep a flat, firm pillow under his head. His neck should be straight and in line with his spine. Place a thin, folded towel or blanket under his calves. This will lift his heels off the bed so they won't get sore. Bend both arms to an "L" shape and rest his hands on his hips.
Cover a 3 foot long by 2 foot wide board with a soft towel or pillowcase. Put the board at the foot of the bed and rest the patient's feet on it. His toes should be pointing upward, and his feet should form a right angle (L-shape) with the legs. (The angle can be slightly wider, if necessary.) This will prevent the condition called "foot drop."
Turning a Patient from His Back to His Stomach
Keep two thin, folded towels within your reach. First turn the patient from his back to his side, following the directions above. The patient should then be resting on his side, facing away from you, on the side of the bed closest to you.
Stay behind the patient to make sure he doesn't roll off the bed. Place one towel on the bed where the patient's chest will come to rest. Place another in the area that will be under his hips. The towels will help to prevent the skin over the hip and chest bones from getting sore.
Gently roll the patient onto his stomach. If there isn't enough room on the bed, proceed as follows: Put your arms under the patient's upper body and hips, gently pull him towards you, then roll him onto his stomach. Finish by putting your arms under his legs and aligning them with his upper body.
Once the patient is on his stomach, turn his head to one side so that his nose and mouth are unobstructed and he can breathe easily. Place his head in line with his spine, not too far back or forward. Put a flat pillow or folded towel under his head.
Position the patient's hands on either side of his head. His arms should extend perpendicularly from his shoulders, with the elbows bent 90 degrees to form an "L." Put a rolled towel under his ankles to keep his toes and feet off the bed. Make sure the folded towels are positioned smoothly under his chest and hips. Wrinkles can cause skin sores.

Thanx Sally, we'll try that.
i want to ask is it normal that she feels pain whe we move her? & what can we do for her?
thanx.

Some ideas
The book "Comfort of Home, An illustrated step-by-step guide for caregivers" deals with at home caregiving and has a few pages on this topic.

The videotape "Body mechanics and Positioning for the Home Health Aide" deals with the care of a bed bound patient.

The video tape "The educated Caregiver - Hands on skills, Bathing and Transfers" from Life View Resources also deals with care of the bed-bound patient, but does not cover repositioning as well.

I was able to borrow this book from my public library. If yours does not have it, they may be able to order it in on inter-library loan. I borrowed these video tapes from my local Alzheimer's Association.

Other ideas (assuming some type of medical insurance)--

Could the doctor prescribe a nursing service to visit (for wound care). Have the nurse teach you the repositioning and bed care techniques.

You may be able to qualify for Hospice service and then you can get visits from a home health aide that can assist with bathing and show you care techniques.

Can the doctor prescribe an air matress because of the bed sores - and visits from a certified wound care nurse?

Norbert

Hey Smilie,

It would help to know the general area your in .. one of us might have a contact or an idea ... you don't need to be specific, but a vague notion might help LOL

It is possible she's feeling pain because she's not being moved <i>enough.</i> If you stay in one exact position for even 30 minutes, if you move, it will hurt. As she get's older, her muscles will atrophy (stiffen) quite quickly, especially with no kind of movement, or at least limited movement.

What you could try is before your about to move her, grab a leg, with your left hand under the calf and the right hand under the thigh, and gently but firmly move her leg as if she was riding a bicycle. Just a little at first, and then try to extend the movement. Do the same for the other leg. For the arms, same kind of deal. Try this for about 15 minutes before any major movement .. a sort of warm up.

Try some hot packs around her back before you move her .. if you have access to a microwave, you can moisten a hand towel, and then microwave it for a few minutes. It'll heat up beautifully !! (just make sure it's not TOO hot - depends on your microwave) ...

We've tried an air mattress here for FIL, and he HATED it .. too soft, too bouncy, we swapped it over for some eggshell foam (looks like an egg carton but in foam) and he's MOST improved. Of course, I've got him sitting up in an 'executive' computer chair .. at least he can get OUT of bed at the moment.

I get a wound care nurse in when FIL's skin tears ulcerate. Otherwise I put honey and a dressing on it (heals beautifully) ... he DID however, during the heat of our summer, end up with major bed sores on his buttocks. We used a heat rash powder, and a fungal cream ... all available at any chemist/pharmacy.

Let us know how you get on Smilie ...

Hugs
Sally

Thank u sally very much, that really helps, i'll do that.
it makes me feel better that im trying to do something for her, thanx for making me able to do that.
every time i smile at her she smiles back thats what keeps me smileing :)
Thanx again all of u.

How's is going Smilie ???

I've been worried .. would like to know

Hugs

Sally

Hi Smile! I just wanted to say I think your mom raised some great kids.
It must be very difficult to see your mother like that-and so young. You must be very young too.
I wish that I could be of some help to you.
Take care!

Hugs, Barb

Hi, I am so sorry you are going thru this. My mom was diagnosed at 60, but first showed symptoms at 55. It is so hard to see your parent have this at such a young age. Sounds like she is very lucky to have such great kids.
My mom grimaces sometimes for no apparent reason. You would think she is hurting badly- no one is even touching her. I was told this can be just a natural reaction within the body and like a involuntary reaction.
Good luck!

HI Smile,
I just wanted to add one more thing. If you can you might want to ask the Dr. about some antibotics. I had a patient once that had a bedsore so bad that it had become infected with gangreen. By it having a really bad odor I wouldn't take any chances. Your mom did a great job of raising you and your sisters. Try to take a deep breath and relax you are doing great. The key is not to panic. LMG

hi every one :wave: , thank u all for all the help u give me (even emotionly).
my mom's bedsore got much better now alhamodlilah, we found a new midicen that made it heal very quiqly :) im trying to move her like u sugested but she still feel pain when i move her witch breaks my heart & dont know if i should do that or not, coz one of her legs doesnt easly move (or maybe even not moving at all) the other one is better but hurts too, sometimes i think that maybe she have something in her bone, could it be? i hope not.

tomorow is her birthday :) i wish her a very happy birthday, i dont know what i can do to her on this day to make her feel happyer & feel that we care for her, if any one have any idea that u think she will NOTICE & make her happy i'll be so thankful to u.

have a great life every one.

Hi Smile! Bring the birthday into her room. You and your sisters and anyone else you wish sing happy birthday to your mom. I'm thinking maybe some aromatherapy candles to fragrance her room would be a nice gift for her and it will make her room smell nice too. And maybe some flowers. It's been proven that these types of fragrances have an positive affect on people.

Do you think that your mom may have an injury to her leg? If that's the case, you may need to call an ambulance and have her taken to the hospital where they can check to see if there is anything wrong.

Just you and your sisters being there with her is all she needs to make her feel loved and special on her birthday.

Love, Barb

OH most definately yes ... take the party into her room. Decorate it if you can. dim the lights, light the candles, sing happy birthday, sit around her head and let you all blow out the candles .... play her most favourite music she's ever loved and remember .. there is still some form of awareness, she will know a celebration is happening and will love just being involved ....

As for her bones hurting .. if your starting to exercise her like I suggested, it probably IS hurting .. but the more you do it, the less it will hurt. Then again, it could be an automatic reaction .. it's just something she may do (she may also be thinking, why can't they just leave me alone to sleep for heavens sake .. all this fuss !!-- and that could be the grimace as well) ..

WHO KNOWS?????????? Yup, it's the $20,000,000 question ... one we would all DEARLY love an answer to.

She may have severe arthritis in her leg joint .. so many maybe's ... if you really believe she's in pain, then a hospital might be an only option. Ask your doctor if you can.

Many hugs, glad to see your still with us ...

Sally

Hi Smile -

Be sure to sing the Birthday Song, too. On my mother's 88th birthday last year, we had a little party at the nursing home even though Mom didn't know day from night, up from down, any of us, and could speak only a little. To our amazement, as we sang to her, her face lit up with delight and she tried to sing along. Some memories are so deep that they can still be there - as were the words to the Birthday Song in my mother's mind.

Happy Birthday to your mother!

Blessings - Barbara