My Father falls 2 times a day, sometimes, as he forgets he can't walk. Is this typical?

Oh one more thing Hospice was going to discharge her because she was too healthy and could communicate just fine. I'm pretty sure she would have lived longer than 6 months, but now I am not so sure. I feel guilty that I put her in there for 5 days. They receive a lot of money for these elderly patients and they should provide good quality care. I now feel in my heart that my mother is not coming back from this one.

I am in the same situation. Every care home my 89 yo mother has been in she has fallen. Broken bones etc. I always explain that she does not listen and she tries and tries to get up. I sit next to her at least 16 hrs a day because she is a "busy body" but it is killing me. Hospice provided respite care for me to get a break. Some break!!! I kept receiving calls about her falling. She fell at 3 facilities already. She comes home with bruises all over and bumps all over her head. I am very very upset! Before she went in she was talking and still able to understand and respond, now she cries and has NO comprehension. Hospice says just give her morphine. We need to make them liable for our parents. Especially they knew my mother is a trouble patient. She has dementia and sometimes needs to be restrained if someone can't sit with her. On 2 occasions she fell in front of the nurse. They need to be accountable for their patients. I would have rather that they said no to her admission, as did all the other facilities. My mother has a reputation out there. Boy I'm lucky to have from what I hear, the most difficult patient. That's why I look to them for help every so often. At this rate I will never put my mother in a Nusing Home again even though it is draining the life out of me. I have no siblings or family to help. We need to do something, it's not right. They need cameras, alarms, restraints, what ever necessary to ensure patient safety, even if the rules say otherwise.

Maggie, I hate to disagree with you, but seat belts on wheelchairs are prohibited in Memory Care and in NH in Connecticut, where my mom is. I believe that it's also true in some other states. The methods that Sunny mentioned are used at mom's nh. I would meet with DON and ask, "how are you going to a sure my father's safety in your facility?". I would assure her that the State's ombudsman and the Joint Commission will hear from from you about their lack of ability to cope with the most basic of safety needs.

Individual lawsuits don't do it; having their license looked at? That hits them where they live.

I agree it's typical. I disagree it's a necessary evil. Mom was the same way. Forgot she couldn't walk unassisted. She broke her hip getting up -- because she had to go to the bathroom. I suspect that "have to go to the bathroom" causes lots of falls by dementia'd patients.

Her falling once is understandable. Twice raises eyebrows. Three or more?? Negligence. And don't doubt it for a minute. Twice in a day??? Absurd!

If there is no state law against restraint in a wheelchair, demand dad be fastened in a seatbelt. If that nursing home has their OWN rules prohibiting that restraint, personally? I'd move my dad.

Completely and utterly unacceptable. Get the Director of Nursing's email address. Write her an email documenting that you've been told he's fallen several times a day. Demand a seatbelt.save their response.

Another suggestion, if they have a large common room with a very large TV (mom's was like that...it was the dining room/activities room)' insist that dad be pushed well under the table and his wheelchair locked so he can't move it backwards...therefore can't stand. IF , though, this room is isolated with little staff or social contact, this is unacceptable.

Solve it or move him is my advice.

I am not a litigious person. Quite the opposite. THIS circumstance? If my loved one suffered an injury from their NEGLECT? I'd be all over them.

My cousin used to forget to use her cane and then walker when she was in Assisted Living. She kept falling too and eventually sustained some bad fractures. Between the fractures and the dementia progressing she ended up in a wheelchair. Now she doesn't try to walk and she no longer falls. It sounds bad, but I'm relieved, because she was ending up in the ER and in a lot of pain when she was walking and falling a lot.

I do feel for you, because I know what it's like to get constant calls that the patient has fallen and is hurt. If the staff does not witness the fall, in our state, they are required to send them to the ER. So, we were in the ER a lot.

Now that my cousin is in Memory Care, I see other residents who have gerichairs. It's larger than a wheelchair and has more support. It also has a tray in front of the patient so he won't fall out. I don't know the details, but you might ask the resident coordinator about them and if your dad qualifies. I think Medicare will pay for it.

Also, ask for a meeting with the director and staff at the Memory Care facility. This is an urgent matter and they need to come up with a plan. Certainly, they have dealt with this same issue before and should have some suggestions. If they say they have no plan, tell them that is not acceptable and that you must meet and develop a plan to deal with it.

What if they place him in a wheelchair in the activity room in the morning and ensure that he is not near a bathroom, so he won't be tempted to get up.

AND insist they provide a schedule of when he is taken to the bathroom. If he is taken there enough, maybe he won't try to get up by himself.

Maybe others here will have more ideas. I wish you luck.