Follow
Share

My mother is waking up to urinate up to 15x a night because she is on predizone. Her care giver noticed a small bump on her head while getting her ready for bed. By the next morning she had bruises forming on her face. We took mom to the dr where it was discovered that she had a very low platelet count 17, should be 150 at least, so she went into the hospital. She is now considered an extreme fall risk, where as an fall means a trip to the ER. Hence the home she is in and I do not want her getting out of bed at night. We are having to pay for overnight wake staff because she will not stay in bed. I have ordered a hospital bed with full side rails hoping that she will not try to get up on her own, at the hospital she didn't. Any suggestions?

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
Hospital beds with full side rails can be dangerous.... an elder who wants to get out of bed will do whatever they can to get around those rails, but they gets their legs caught up in the rails causing a serious medical situation.

I see from your profile that your Mom lives in Assisted Living and has dementia/Alzheimer's. It could be possible that your Mom now needs a higher level of care. Right now an over-night caregiver is the only thing until your Mom finally learns on her own to use her Depends.

My Mom was like that at the nursing home and was always trying to climb out of bed, but she forgot she couldn't walk. It took awhile, but she adapted to her Depend type product.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

One alternative to rails is to lower the bed as far as it will go (some beds will go very low), she probably won't be able to stand from such a low position and if she does fall she doesn't have as far to go.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Trying to climb out is my concern also. I do know that my mom is too weak to get herself up off of the floor and most of the times she needs help getting up from a chair too. I think because she can get herself to a sitting position sideways on a higher bed she is then able to stand. When she does get herself up out of bed she does not use her walker and is unsteady. At the hospital last week the half rails kept her in for the most part and she used the call button for the nurse.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

we are trying to prevent all falls due to her being diagnosed with ITP last week the lack of platelets which clot blood.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Higher level of care ASAP.
Assisted Living is NOT meant to be 24/7 supervision. Your mother may not be capable of "learning" anymore and should be handled by properly trained staff who know what to do with an advancing dementia patient.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

I am paying for higher level of care for the time being. Until it is determined if the Drs can get her platelet level higher and she comes off of predizone the Drs do not want her walking anywhere unassisted which is no problem. Dr also does not want her to get out of bed at night with or without help. Before all of this happened the home send a bed alarm and she only got up 1x at night and the aid was there to respond. Time will tell just what the next level of care will be.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Her assisted living home is an "Alzheimer " care home in accordance with state laws. As well as an "age in place" home.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter