My mom is 92, post stroke, post hip fracture surgery, chf, vascular dementia, repeated bouts of pneumonia. In a nh for 2 years now.
She was ambulatory with a walker until last winter, when she spent a week in the hospital with sepsis from a chest tap (long story). Came back to nh with contracture of both legs and a compression fracture in her spine. PT, amazingly, got her up walking again. Not independent but can walk with supervision. No more PT, but she has a walking protocol that the aides do, walking her each day with a gait belt. My mother is a very contented sort, likes to watch Fox news and watch what's going on in the hallway. She has never been the social type, and now with aphasia, even less so.
There is an "exercise class" each day at 11 am. Mom is on Comfort Care and is allowed to sleep in if she pleases. Which she does...always did, likes to stay up late and watch tv.
My sister in law, who lives nearby and visits often, wants mom to go to exercise class. She talks to mom about and mom nods vigorously, yes, she wants to try it. (Mom is a people pleaser. Always has been).
Am I wrong to think that my mom should be able to do what she wants? Can anyone think of a nice way to get SIL to back off? Maybe I should just go to the "whine" thread?
And in the long run the interaction with others could be stimulating and helpful, more so than staying up late and watching tv, which is passive as opposed to active as exercise would be. I'm wondering if she would find interaction and watching others enjoyable, as opposed to watching the activity in the hall. That might be a motivator.
However, it's your mother's life, and at this stage, she's entitled to do what she wants.
I might try to get her to a few exercise sessions to see if she enjoys them, and if she doesn't, just let it go. I think SIL might be thinking as I am, that it's better for her in the long run.
So often we in these positions try to do what's best for our parents, and sometimes it's really difficult to put ourselves in their situations and ask what THEY would really want to do. I still think it would be wonderful if someone could invent a holographic simulator allowing us to step into our parent's world to see what they're really facing and dealing with on a regular basis.
I'm just venting, really.