Mom lives in a restraint free nursing home. They will not let her use a wheelchair tray, even one that is easily removable as it is seen as a restraint. Her bed only has a small handle bar on each side. Bed rails are also seen as a restraint. She has dementia. If something catches her eye, she tries to get up to get it and falls. Falls from the bed happen in the middle of the night when no one is in the room with her. The bed and chair alarm are being removed as they consider the alarm startling to the residents. It is also an after the fact notification once she has moved. Any suggestions on how to keep her safe? I have requested mats be put down on the floor along her bed. I would appreciate any ideas you might have.
The mats are ok, and another possible help is to lower the bed as low as possible, or place a mattress on the floor.
”Fall proofing” is very tough to manage, even with 100% full time supervision.
I slept (well not sleep, really) on the floor by my mother’s bed for 6 months to keep her from falling.
A wheel chair tray is not legally “seen” as a restraint, it’s a restraint..
that was more soothing but still able to alert them?
I cannot for the life of me remember what song she said it was but it might have been Mary had a little lamb? Or something like that and that it gave the staff - Cna - nurse an alert with a song and didn’t disturb others.
It is literally impossible to stop a senior from falling unless you have someone staring at them from no more than a meter away 24/7. Stand up from the chair you're sitting in. Took like 3 seconds right? That's how long it can take for a senior to try and stand and fall.
Side rails on a bed are not the same as being tied down to the bed. A tray attachment to a wheelchair or a posey (a type of vest or waistband that kept a person from slipping out of a wheelchair) are not the same thing a straightjacket.
If you want a better chance at keeping your mom safer, move her to a nursing home that has some common sense and knows the difference between immobilizing someone against their will and taking the most basic safety measures that a person with dementia won't even notice.
it’s crazy what the current nursing home is doing!!!
almost asking for/wanting accidents/falls!!!!
hugs to all of you.
i wish your mother well jcarna. hug!! :)
If your mother fell and had two aides with her, then they were not paying attention and doing her job. There is no excuse for that.
My father had vascular dementia in the balance center of his brain. He was falling before he went to assisted living, He fell often in AL and continued to fall in SN. I got increasing calls from AL and weekly calls from SN that dad had fallen again. Once he went to rehab from hospital - he not only fell the 1st night in rehab, he fell again the next morning. His falls usually resulted in superficial injuries - scrapes, bruises and minor cuts. Also at work with dad was being so stinking stubborn, weakness and AD.
Dad had a power lift chair that he loved, it went with him to SN. He'd hit the button and the chair would lift him and he'd just slide on down to the floor. I asked if they couldn't get him comfortable then unplug the chair (it was in his room at the time) but no, that was considered restraint by the state. However, shortly thereafter, they moved the chair to the common area; get him comfortable and unplugged the chair; when they noticed him trying to get out of the chair they plugged the chair back in and move him to his wheelchair.
Unfortunately there is nothing that can prevent all falls but the staff should be taking action to reduce the risk of falls. They can lower the bed closer to the floor and place mats down to cushion a fall. You may check into better chair pads or other wheel chairs that prevent falls that are better at keeping the person in the chair.
It is horrible to get those phone calls - it got to the point if a call came before 8AM or after 9PM, I was pretty certain who was calling and why. I wish you the best.
Yes, they have the tilted wheelchairs, too. My mom had one near the end of her life. They're extremely expensive and intended to keep people from slumping forward, but it would likely work.
Getting a wheelchair that can be reclined a bit will make it more difficult for her to try to get out of the chair. NOT impossible but more difficult.
There are also gel pads or membranes that can be placed on the chair that make it m ore difficult to slide so that scooting out of the chair would be more difficult.
I hope they can keep your mother safe ..talk to administrator & Nursing Supervisor about your concerns. Hugs 🤗