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My mil - Gran - has fallen a few times while in her wheelchair (she has one leg). It is mostly at night time in her bathroom. I thought the gabapentin was making her tired, so I try to make sure that she didn't take it until she went to bed. Now I am beginning to wonder if she is having small strokes? Because she said that she was on her way to the bathroom and woke up when she hit the floor. She doesn't know how long she was there or anything. This is about the fourth time in the last six months that I know about. She does tend to stay up very late at night and we usually have to go and remind her to get into bed. Appreciate any suggestions or thoughts! :)

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Allowing a person with dementia to manage their own meds and to decide when medical consultation is needed is, well, crazy! LOL. You mean well, I'm sure, but re-read what you've written. Gran's doctor says she shouldn't manage her own meds. Gran wants to manage her own meds. You allow the meds to remain in her room. Yoohoo ... If Gran can take care of herself, what are you doing there?

Gran has dementia. People with dementia need guidance and protection. Do it!

(Do you feel empowered to make decisions on her behalf? That was my goal.)
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we went to the doctor this past week and her blood pressure was low! Also, I always sent a note/letter to the doctor before we went and he decided to put her on Resperidol. OMG.....the difference is amazing.....immediately. It has totally helped with her anger/frustration/aggression. I am amazed. just had to share!
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redrill the frame and raise the back wheels about 3 inches essentially lowering the rear of the chair. engineers nowdays are brain dead idiots imo. you have to modify everything to suit your individual needs.
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LOL - well, thanks for the 'push' and encouragement. :) Yes, I know that it is ridiculous to leave her meds in her room, but I have been stuck in the middle of a crazy ex and a disabled ex mil. Ex husband wants to "be in charge" but doesn't do anything at all to help. So now I have my backbone again (thanks to ya'll) and will stand up and do what I have known to do all along. If the ex doesn't like it, well................. he doesn't like anything anyway! and he is always unhappy, so it won't really change things! LOL. Thanks again... it will be helpful to come back here after I get chewed out for being 'mean' by taking the meds and making her do certain things... oh, boy.........
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Elderly people tend to need more sleep. My father was in his nineties and slept like a housecat- about 20 hours a day. At doctor one time he was sound asleep in his wheelchair and didn't really wake up even during the exam. If he opened his eyes he would immediately fall back asleep when his eyes closed. Granted it was towards his end (and he wasn't that way all the time) but a person can fall into deep sleep very easily (at the blink of an eye). Maybe that is happening for your MIL (by the way, my father's vital signs were fantastic so there was no medical reason for the sleepyness- except for age).
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Besides blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias or low blood glucose can cause falls and fainting spells. She does not need to permitted to decide to blow off doctor's visits just to avoid the anxiety or the unwelcome news. As you said, "bite the bullet and just tell her" [I care about you and this coudl be important to take care of because I don't want you hurt and] "this is what we are doing".
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yes! I had told him of her behavior about a year ago, and he kind of dismissed it, so it was soooooooooooooooooo wonderful to have him take me seriously this time! I wrote in the letter that she gets extremely angry if I bring up her behaviors in front of someone else, but she won't act like it until we get home. I also told him about her trying to kick me and punch me from her wheelchair and trying to stab me with a pen while chasing me in her wheelchair!! I had to laugh when that happened. So I think the doc. realized that things aren't as 'sweet' as she makes it out to be when we are at the doc. I also tend to make faces of fear and shock behind her back when I talk to the doc and she is looking at him.... LOLOL. I know it sounds crazy, but it helps when I say "yes, we were wondering if the sound in her ear was the gas pipe under the house and it was going to blow up the house in the middle of the night, or possibly might be her blood pressure. or should I call the gas company to warn them that we might blow up??" while making a face of shock behind her. roflol.... I am easily amused , I know. But we have to find our 'escape from the madness' any way we can during this long journey! :)
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oh, and the son has the DPOA -- lovely. She doesn't trust him, so I have to monitor his movements with money also! I do have to say that he IS being responsible with her money, though. The other son who died 2 years ago drained all her money, so we have put in over $10,000.00 to help her keep her home and other things.
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We have a doctor's appt. on Tuesday! I'm going to write a note to the doc so he can read it before we get there (like I did last time) so he will know what behavior changes there have been. She tries to act like everything is so good in front of the doctor and will get mad at me if I bring anything up to talk about, so wish me luck!
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ahh, wise as a serpent, innocent as a dove..that's the way to be. St. Paul would be proud of you :-).
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