My grandmother keeps lying on floor and I cannot lift her. What can I do?

Does she say WHY she keeps getting on the floor? It may not make sense to you but to her there might be a reason. Can she crawl, sit up? Stand on her own? holding on? Does get on the floor or fall to the floor?

Dear KyLady,

My mother is also placing herself on the floor. I found a Hoyer Professional Advance-H Portable Lift at Patient Lift USA for $1282.67. It is portable and comes with a free body sling. Most Hoyer Lifts go for a lot more and I could not afford to pay more that the $2,000 most websites are charging. My Mom's doctors would not fill out the paperwork to pay for the lift so I put it on my credit card. Thank you for sharing your story and I hope the information on the lift is helpful.

KyLady, what a horrible situation you are in. Do you think that your grandmother has some dementia with the Parkinson's. This is certainly very strange behavior and it sounds like she may. I would be proactive and speak to someone for elder services of your county. Ask them for advice on what is the best thing to do. I don't know if this is oppositional behavior on the part of your grandmother or if it is a dementia-related thing that she does. I just know that, with taking care of your mother, too, that you don't need to be fighting this fight.

If this was happening to me, I would talk to a county worker to get their support. Then if she kept getting in the floor, I would call the EMTs and ask them to take her to the hospital for a geri-psych evaluation. They might be able to figure out why she is doing it.

You are stronger than I am. In truth, I probably would have started to make arrangements for placement the day she threatened to make false accusations and got in the floor again.

And toilet seats felt so wonderfully cool on fevered cheeks and foreheads back when I had hangovers, do you remember that capnhardass?

Eh, it's a drama queen move. Leave her on the floor. If you are worried that she may be too cool, put a blanket over her, and offer her a pillow. Then shut the door, walk away and be grateful she hasn't stripped down and covered herself in vasoline. Picking her up would really be a btch then.

maybe she is lying on the cool floor to draw fever from her body. heat rises the coolest place in a home is on the floor. if im feverish youll find me lying on a concrete or tile floor every time.. if you figure out her reasoning you might be able to create an alternative.

Medicare paid for because of the doctors Rx. If there was a copay, medicaid picked that cost up. You just need a doctor that knows how to prove medical necessity on the paperwork, or a vendor that can help the doctor word it correctly.

I don't know why it's so difficult for insurance companies to pay for a needed lift to patients with long histories of falling with or without injury. If your current doctor is aware of the falls and is reluctant to write a Rx, change doctors.

The risks involved in a caregiver trying to transfer from floor to wheelchair, or chair is too high. Risks to your loved one and yourself.

I fought long and hard to get my Mom's lift. Persevere and don't let a "I can't do that" stop you.

As for the problem of deliberately falling out of a chair to the floor... it happens. But even if it's deliberate, you as the care provider have to determine injury and provide a means of getting the uninjured off the floor.

I'm a bit nervous of those that say leave her on the floor. That's an APS reportable offense and could land you in trouble.

Duh, I failed to answer your direct question - yes Medicare also covers lifts with an Rx. Google for "Medicare coverage patient lift" and there are good links on the first page.

Medicaid usually covers lifts for my patients. Some do not go all the way down to the floor though, make sure whatever you get will actually do what you want it to and will fit in your home.

I saw where she is still her own guardian and all - you do need a geriatric evaluation of some sort with help to get all that sorted out. Hopefully you and Mom can cajole her into going for that, because a call to APS would be next if you can't get her to allow for appropriate care of herself!

I saw this really cool lift chair that is inflatable - if you google inflatable lift chair you should be able to find it -but it was very expensive-more than a thousand dollars. It would work great though. It is full flat on the floor and you gently roll the elder onto it and then inflate. It goes slow and steady. Neat video.

Did medicare cover the lift?

I almost forgot this: If your Mom has fallen and you can't help her up... call 911. I had to do that a few times. They firemen came and without any strain lifted my Mom up off the floor, checked her out for injury (although I'd already done so) and flirted shamelessly with her. And she flirted right back!

Embarrassing right? But hilarious too. ;)

My husband actually just chimed in with this: offer her a bribe. Ice cream works with my mom. Or tell her she doesn't get lunch or whatever unless she gets up off the floor.

Get a Hoyer LIFT. I was fortunate to finally find a doctor with sense and compassion. He wrote a Rx for a Hoyer Lift so that I could get my Mom up off the floor without breaking my back. (Mom became non-ambulatory and dead weight). With the Hoyer Lift, I was able to crank her up and move her safely to a chair or wheelchair or her bed.

As for a getting help in the home, the falls never seemed to happen when anyone else was around ... to witness them. They mainly occurred with me in the house and her trying to move as soon as my back was turned.

If you have funding, get a personal care assistant to come in who is able-bodied and can do the lifting. I doubt she will go back down on the floor if they are there.

Thanks, you two. I will talk to my mom and ask her about the APS idea.

No one has POA or guardianship. She's currently her own responsibility, I guess.

Hi Kylady, I would video tape her next time she pulls this stunt- to protect you from her accusations.
What did the paramedics say when they came to the house? I would have the paramedics explain to her that by causing the emergency situation on purpose she is violating the law-if she is able to understand such things. If she is not than/and also I would look for help through the community (APS?)- anyone know whom she should call for help? I am not sure. Good luck!!!! Let us know how it goes.

Wow. Who (if anyone) does have POA? If she is no longer of sound mind, she needs guardianship. She may be communicating that she does not want you to take care of her, but she clearly can't take care of herself. You might want to call Adult Protective Services yourself and see if they can help in some way, and keep notes and documentation on the events and calls you make. Are you living/is this happening in her home, or yours? Is she refusing all medical care or evaluations too?