My Dad age 82 has had 2 strokes and seizures. He was hospitalized for over a month, was on a vent then had a trach and a peg. Then moved to a LTAC and now at a new to him skilled nursing facility. I got a call this AM that the night nurse said he was pulling on his trach tube last night. We sent him with a stuffed animal bunny to hold but clearly he needs more for his busy hands to stay occupied. Because of Covid they won't let me send in anything unless it is new and wrapped in original plastic from manufacturer. Any ideas of gadgets or items that I could order online for him that would keep his hands occupied?? I was thinking a squeeze stress ball or a nubby ball but Amazon doesn't indicate the packaging. Any help greatly appreciated!!!!
Stressed out daughter who is also caring for aging mother.
if the link doesn't work,,look for twiddle muffs ... 🙏🙏🙏 stay safe hope this helps
IN case you didn't see this...... ask doctor..
Quality.. Not quantity of life.. COMFORT. Is he on Hospice? If not.. ask about it. Hospice is great.
Reassure him.. it is okay... play happy music.. fun talk, about memories, etc...
If they can give him a benedryl or something to help ease this itch, it may help? I know you can't just get rid of it... but silence the irritation may be an answer...
Fussy fingers not knowing what or why they are doing what they are doing, may be the issue. Pulling on synthetics in the body.. they don't understand... Keep the hands away from the TRACH,, you may need to bind the hands a bit for the TRACH to FEEL LIKE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.. WHEN IT BECOMES NATURAL TO HIS BODY.. THIS IS A SORE THAT IS HEALING, AND HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND... Tie the hands to the bed for a few days, get a doctor's prescription for this. It will heal, and he may not be so irritated by it.. Give him medications to ease that issue.... Ativan? Benedryl? Google it, look it up, ask doctor.
My mom was released from hospital to hospice because she could not stop pulling out IV'S TUBES and catheters... It was more painful and irritating.. Not doing any good... I had no choice but to bring her home.. HER ARMS WERE BLACK AND BLUE... That's how many times they inserted IV'S and equal times she pulled them out... They could not really bind her arms to the bed legally, I suppose.. She did not know what was going on...
When my brother was in hospital, being released to Heaven... they did bind his arms to the bed so he could not pull on strange things attached to him.
Wish I could add a photo.
What did he do for a living? Past time? Anything that involved working with his hands? Could he play dominos solely? If he has something to occupy his hands, it might distract his discomfort, but I do understand that a trach can be uncomfortable.
Is there a speech pathologist, speech therapist, or PT help? They might be in a good position to determine what he could or couldn't do to occupy his hands.
Also, what's his prognosis? Is it anticipated that he'll be able to have the trach removed? Or is this a long term prospect?
You do have my sympathy, and hope for a good resolution. This was a very rough time for my father. And it can't be easy for anyone.
My daughter crocheted twiddle muffs with things like zippers, bells, squiggles, ribbons. Buttons with button holes. A person puts in their lap and it gives their hands something to do. You can get blankets too. Search "Twiddle blankets for Dementia".
Sedation, mild, might help as well.
It is also possible that he will try pulling the trach and the peg in his sleep so no "busy ball, fidget blanket" or other item will prevent that.
Logic would say if you ordered an item from Amazon and had it delivered to the facility that would be in "original packaging" I doubt they would have a problem with that.