KellyB, Thanks for the info. We were redressing daily for her removal and to avoid infection. She wouldn't do it properly herself so we took over. The hosp. was tending to it twice daily and it showed marked improvement, so I continued. Her doc was going to do a skin graft before she went to hosp this last time and gave her two treatments with "silver cell" to set her up for the graft. At this time he wrapped it so she couldn't remove it (taped a sock on) and he redressed it after a week. This worked nicely but then the NH jazzed it up. WE have an appt. next week and will probably have to start all over again. Once a week redress would be nice but I'll have to ask doc about the future. My biggest concern is if/when she gets the skin graft is she going to peel it off when the bandages are removed??? Mom will nod her head & say OK while intending to do just the opposite. I've told her she will have to see the foot doc for the rest of her life regardless of the wounds in case it's an "attention" thing but it doesn't sink in. Subtle doesn't work any better with her than it does with me. Good suggest about having the doc tell her. The "child" (me) can't be trusted & doesn't know what she's talking about. Blah blah. I'm sure you've heard it before. Mom also has mentioned that the doc doesn't know either so.....I've got a 50/50 chance. They adjusted her meds this last time in hosp & so far she seems a little more rational. Hope it sticks. Praying for all of us.
Helpus, I went through the same exact thing you are now. Mom would pick and pick. She's had them for about 10 years now. Lost half of one foot already. Other than watching 24/7 which we obviously can't do, has the doctor ever told her not to remove her bandages? What I mean is, my mom, who has dementia, wouldn't listen to me or a nurse, but listened to the Dr. when she was told not to take off her bandages. "Only I can do this". So oddly worked. Stepping up the appts also helped. She now goes once a week. Alot of what the doctors tell our parents, they take to heart. "oh Dr does this so can i". You need to start working closer with the Dr and making sure that what he is telling your mom is just plain ol "don't touch". Is there a reason it has to be redone everyday? Besides her taking off the bandages...
Mom has had diabetic ulcers on her feet for over 5 yrs. I and our helper redress the wounds daily. She is also seen by a podiatrist twice a month. As soon as they start to heal, mom pulls off the dressings & pokes at the wounds. Subsequently they don't heal & often become infected. She recently had to go into the hosp. for an unrelated problem. The hosp. took good care of the wounds & they were healing nicely. The NH she went into for 4 weeks after obviusly did not care properly & the wounds now look horrible again. Since they took good care last time I thought this time would be OK too. Wrong. Yersterday when I got her home I looked & was shocked to see she had pulled off much skin & generally wreaked havoc. She has already been warned that she may lose her feet if this continues. A skin graft was sceduled before she went to hosp. & now we'll have to start all over with the process. Any ideas???????
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The hosp. was tending to it twice daily and it showed marked improvement, so I continued.
Her doc was going to do a skin graft before she went to hosp this last time and gave her two treatments with "silver cell" to set her up for the graft. At this time he wrapped it so she couldn't remove it (taped a sock on) and he redressed it after a week. This worked nicely but then the NH jazzed it up. WE have an appt. next week and will probably have to start all over again. Once a week redress would be nice but I'll have to ask doc about the future.
My biggest concern is if/when she gets the skin graft is she going to peel it off when the bandages are removed??? Mom will nod her head & say OK while intending to do just the opposite. I've told her she will have to see the foot doc for the rest of her life regardless of the wounds in case it's an "attention" thing but it doesn't sink in. Subtle doesn't work any better with her than it does with me. Good suggest about having the doc tell her. The "child" (me) can't be trusted & doesn't know what she's talking about. Blah blah. I'm sure you've heard it before. Mom also has mentioned that the doc doesn't know either so.....I've got a 50/50 chance.
They adjusted her meds this last time in hosp & so far she seems a little more rational. Hope it sticks.
Praying for all of us.
Is there a reason it has to be redone everyday? Besides her taking off the bandages...
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She recently had to go into the hosp. for an unrelated problem. The hosp. took good care of the wounds & they were healing nicely. The NH she went into for 4 weeks after obviusly did not care properly & the wounds now look horrible again. Since they took good care last time I thought this time would be OK too. Wrong.
Yersterday when I got her home I looked & was shocked to see she had pulled off much skin & generally wreaked havoc.
She has already been warned that she may lose her feet if this continues. A skin graft was sceduled before she went to hosp. & now we'll have to start all over with the process.
Any ideas???????