No medical news today …
… so far on my ex’s stay at the rehab facility.
One thing I see that’s a potential problem is that, although he was walking on his own until he had the health crisis (partly caused by dehydration) this past Saturday, now they’ll only let him walk with a walker. It seems to me that they should let him try some walking on his own while they are close by, in order for them to help him and give him tips on how to do that in the safest manner and to see what he’s capable of. But they say that for safety reasons he has to use a walker at all times when he’s at the facility. They are doing that, they say, to protect him – but of course it protects them as well.
So how does a person get ready to walk independently if they won’t let him?
Re-teaching independent walking is one of the things the OT is for. Maybe they want the OT’s sign-off when he demonstrates he can do it.
I assume it’s a physical rehabilitation facility? Wouldn’t the normal procedure in such a place be to begin training him to safely walk on his own at some point? Seems odd if that’s not the case.
Interesting. While in the hospital for my 2 major cancer surgeries, the RNs and CNAs had me ditch the walker ASAP and would be by my side as I walked on my own. They really pushed independent walking as the quickest route to recovery.
physicsguy, same for my husband after knee replacement the first time. He had to get sign-offs from OT on several things before he could be sent home. But this was in a regular surgical recovery ward and not a rehab hospital.
I work in medical malpractice insurance and used to handle claims against nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities – falls are the number one cause of injuries/claims. Gravity is a huge risk to your health!
So how does a person get ready to walk independently if they won’t let him?
My 77-year-old sister had a fall several months ago that resulted in a broken collarbone—the second such fall in a little over a year. After a month in a hospital, she went to an extended care facility. Medical personnel have told her that she should use a rollator for the rest of her life—that her current balance/mobility is at a peak. That is, it will only get worse.
She has OT and PT nearly every day, which speaks well of the facility. With the assistance of friends, she leaves the facility nearly every day for various errands. Such as installing a new refrigerator in her condo.
She was recently told that because of her recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, which needs dosages at very precise times, assisted living will be better for her than independent living.
She had one annoying experience regarding mobility. She was walking in the neighborhood near her extended care facility—with the rollator— when a nurse from the facility gave her strong disapproval for even walking outside with a rollator. She thought that was too much, and I agree.
I’ve had to use a walker for 6 months, used cane before that. Be careful ! all you have to do is fall once, and there goes safety, especially if falling in an area where one cannot arise from and one is alone. I think of myself as independent.
When my mom had her UTI she went to a rehab facility for a month after and while they were good to her she started to like it there a bit too much as they did practically everything for her and yes they had her walking with a walker and when she did finally leave she started using a cane pretty much all the time and a few years later came the rolling walker with a seat on it.
Like I mentioned before she recovered mentally pretty much completely but physically she was never the same.
If possible, give trekking sticks a try.
They’re pretty amazing.
Good luck!
I’m surprised there isn’t some sort of harness one could wear with a rope to a ceiling rail that would allow walking but prevent falling. Does this exist? If not, why not?
Liability, liability, liability. All corporations ALL of them have this as the number one worry.
When my mother was rehabbing first from knee replacement and later from spinal fusion the PT’s had her stand and walk between a set of parallel bars. Until she was comfortable standing and walking without reaching for the support of the parallel bars they wouldn’t release her to walk without a walker. They encouraged balance and stability exercises during PT and on her own to get off the walker faster. The experienced PT’s are always evaluating how much the patient leans on the walker for balance and support. in my experience, until they’re strong and stable enough to walk without much dependency on the walker they keep them on the walker and have them build strength and stability with exercise.
JD-
The ceiling track and tether is in widespread use in rehab centers. Been there, done that.
Barry- trekking sticks are ok for outdoors, but indoors?
Barry – I second the trekking or the tall stick which usually have a flat bottom. I got one for my mom before we went on a trip and it was great. She didn’t want a cane since that forces you to look down all the time. Since she was a character, I found one in the local Southwestern store that looked like a snake. She loved it and it was a topic of conversation which was also good for her.
Neo – before he goes home, take a good look at his house to make it easier to get around, fewer things to trip or hit, and whatever is related to his medical issue. I had bpp vertigo and while it was clearing up, I made sure I had small benches placed around my house to be able to sit down.
I have my list of things to do if I get sick or disabled such as food delivery, cleaning services, nursing aides, etc.
Ummm…ok…I’ll start with the usual disclaimer: I am not a medical professional of any stripe, nor do I play one on TV. So, like everyone else my free advice is worth the cost of reading it…and maybe nothing more.
I have, vocationally however, spent more time in various medical facilities than the “average bear.” So a couple of observations based first on what I DON’T KNOW.
1. I don’t know (might have missed it somewhere) your ex-husband’s age. Sometimes medicos treat by the actuarial table & percentages. “What’s most likely to happen to someone of X age with Y underlying conditions & history.”
2. I also don’t know the “Y” above. Outside of dehydration (which like UTIs in older women seems common in older men) I don’t know what else was a precipitating factor. Sometimes those things act as multipliers & therefore breed an excess of caution.
I suspect we all know this…or some variation.
I also know I maintain a 48-72 hour patience window. If I’m unsure I’ll willingly give 48-72 hours of “grace” to the “experts” with the “as long as” I am getting full disclosure & information. Just maybe they know something…they “do the diagnostic math” differently than I do & are on the right track.
And…you gotta walk before you can run. Walkers, by the best physio/occupational therapists, are a temporary aid before they become a long-term solution. Like crutches after knee replacement (I speak from experience here), sometimes walkers are an intermediate step back to full mobility. I know someone who has just made that transition…like last week.
In the meantime…keep asking questions & we’ll keep praying for y’all.
You’re doing good Boss…as someone much wiser than I said, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
– Galatians 6:9…& I pulled out the King James just for you.
> If possible, give trekking sticks a try.
I carry them with me when hiking and use them for going downhill or in rocky sections where I might fall. You can get rubber tip protectors to use on hard surfaces like concrete or floors. They are different from a cane in that your forearms are parallel to the ground rather than going straight down.
Met a guy on the trail using two canes, he had fallen in a rocky area and damaged his knee, said he was worried he couldn’t get up and get home. It is important to acknowledge your personal limitations. I find temperature also matters a lot these days, hiking in the afternoon when it is 90 degrees and sunny is a lot harder than doing the same hike in the morning when it 60-70 degrees.
@Neo, the rehab facility should have some wide cotton spotting belts – they’re made of thick canvas webbing with D rings stitched in along the sides, for attaching a spotting rope – a tag line on either side, so that the patient can walk while the spotters keep hold of the ropes in case they use their balance. These are commonly used, so I would be surprised if they didn’t have these on the premises. You are right – getting back on your feet needs both practice and supervision. He is lucky to have you as his advocate ! And if they’re shorthanded, you can take one of the ropes or follow along with a wheelchair if needs be.
Edit: I guess they call them ‘Gait Belts’ now.
Right, with flat, rubber ends.
I’ve had three falls in the last three years. My last one was pretty bad. Got a hip pointer, which took over a month to heal up. Now using a cane and am considering going to trekking sticks for walks around the neighborhood. Our neighborhood is on a steep hill, so I need to have extra support in places.
Daily exercises are a help. Squats, balancing on one leg, and stepping side to side all help tone your leg muscles and promote your sense of balance. Staying somewhat fit is the best way to be safe while walking independently.
I take two long walks every week in our local COSTCO. With a shopping cart I can move faster, and I walk every aisle at least once and get a pretty fair workout that’s safe. My wife accompanies me, and we have a good time. Getting out helps her memory issues and we share the cart for balance. We’re quite a pair. 🙂
You get more decrepit each year, but if you have a fitness program of sorts it slows the decrepitude down.
I hope your ex will be able to find ways to keep walking when he’s on the mend.
There was an old joke from fifty years ago about a man who had to take his elderly mother to a nursing home. After a week, he called the director to see how everything was going, and the director said “Oh, she had a little trouble adjusting at first; she wanted to stay in her chair all the time, instead of getting up and walking around like the other residents, but the staff has been firm, quite firm, and now she’s trotting around just like everyone else.”
The man was deeply impressed. “Good lord,” he said. “She hasn’t walked in five years.” ?
So you see, it’s all in the expectations.