My mom had 2 strokes in December of 2024. She was released from the hospital and brought to a nice rehab facility in San Jose. The PT and OT are working everyday with her but she's scared to walk. She feels like she's going to fall. She has a lot of anxiety. She does go to rehab when she is suppose to but there are days she will try and there are days she will not try.
If she doesn't have dementia she needs to think about this.
USE IT OR LOSE IT!
This is the God's honest truth. If she does not put the work in by walking and doing her PT every day, she will lose her ability to walk. It will no longer be a choice not to because she's scared. She won't be able to even if she wanted to.
The physical therapy department needs to put it to her in plain, honest terms like I've stated. She'll get over her fear.
He replied, "IF YOU DON'T USE IT, YOU LOOSE IT!"
That stuck with me forever!
There is very little you can do about this.
Your mother FEELS the instability and the fact is that she IS much less stable.
Age alone, even without the strokes, makes us very unstable on our feet. I am 82, and a retired RN and I guarantee you that the brain changes mean that we are a feather in the wind no matter our weight. We cannot recover our balance. It's a brain thing, and nothing really to do with muscles and bones, tho they may contribute. Now she has weakness from strokes added to this.
PT people are highly trained. Were there an answer to it they would already have given you the answers to your question. Sadly, the fear and anxiety makes it all the worse, makes us all the less stable, leads to more falls, and for us seniors, falls are often the beginning of the end. They certainly were for my own mom.
I wish I had better news for you. I would simply encourage her and let her know that much of her fear and hesitancy is normal for her to feel. I wish you the best.