Home physical therapy doesn’t seem to be helping my mom. Any suggestions?

Why was your Mom needing PT? Was she recovering from being sick or injured? Your profile says she's only 72... that's pretty young to have mobility issues.

Does she have any cognitive/memory impairment?

Do you live with her or does she live by herself? Is it possible to arrange her living area on a ground-floor level (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, outside/car access).

Does she have to step over a tub to get into her shower? Is her home made as senior-safe as possible for now?

Does she know that if she gets injured by a fall she may never be able to return to her home again? Are you her care solution? If so, do you want to be for many years to come?

You don't really ask a question, but I know from personal experience that if she fails to make progress in PT they will stop coming. PT can only be gotten through a doctor's order.

The OT part of the therapy should have helped her with the stairs. Why did they say she was not making progress? Really need more info why Mom needed PT.

My mother did home health a few times. The first time it was only physical therapy because she turned down the occupational therapist.

The next time it was ordered. She complied and did occupational and physical therapy.

Her doctor and her PT and OT therapists said that the therapy worked best when both are done together.

Is your mom only doing physical therapy?

It’s a shame that she wasn’t able to be bathed. I would feel the same way as you about her getting back down the stairs safely.

Some people end up installing one of those chair lifts. My friend’s mom had one. She used it everyday because her bedroom and bathroom were upstairs.

My mom got sick and was having dizzy spells and ended up in the hospital. They claimed it’s vertigo, but she was having trouble walking before. My two brothers live with her, but I don’t. One works in the mornings the other works in the evening. The bathroom and her bedroom is upstairs. . She has a bed and lounge chair downstairs. We can’t really afford a stair climber. I was kind of upset earlier. Just sort of hoping it will get better. She’s also a diabetic.

Mlynn8660, this reminds me of my Dad's situation. When he was in the hospital, his next step was either living at Rehab for a few weeks for physical therapy or have physical therapy at home. He choose at home [actually my Mom made the choice for him].

Dad only did the exercises when the therapist was there with him in his home, maybe twice a week. Between times, he ignored the exercises. It was very slow going, took months for him to get back to where he was physically.

Later down the road, Dad was back in the hospital, again he had a choice of living at Rehab or home therapy. This time both he and my Mom chose for him to live at Rehab. What a difference. Dad really enjoyed the fully equipped gym. And he also enjoyed the food at Rehab. He made a very quick recovery.

Once in awhile I will get a mild form of vertigo. For me it was dehydration. So now I keep a bottle of water everywhere I sit for any length of time.

If stairs become too hard for daily use due to Mom's mobility problems, I guess Mom living on one floor is the new reality.

Either downstairs - bedroom but no bathroom. Is there a toilet? A sink for sponge washes?

Or upstairs where her bedroom & bathroom is - but no kitchen right?

Could your brother's cope with your Mom's care needs if she is confined to just one floor?