She has mobility issues and sometimes doesn't use her walker and falls. She has a full time aide. She falls asleep during the day while eating, watching TV, talking. She is then up for hours during the night. The visiting nurse (she was in the hospital for about two weeks recently) suggested anti-anxiety medication. However, seems to have exacerbated the issue as now she sleeps all day and stays up all night.
When she does someone has to keep waking her up. Maybe employ an aide for a couple of weeks for the daytime hours to help reset your mother's clock.
Then at night the doctor can prescribe medication for your mother. Maybe an anti-anxiety drug. Maybe even sleeping medication.
She has to be kept up during the day though.
I had lots of care clients like this who napped all day long and then were up all night. Their poor family were at their wit's end with the up all night wandering. I would not allow them to go to sleep during the day. It was hard work, but it will pay off after a few weeks.
Even when her friends come over to visit, she will fall asleep during the visit/conversation. Ii has to be a combo of not sleeping through the night and then compensating for it during the day. But the other component is the dementia causing the sleeping or dozing.
An alarm placed on the floor would alert anyone that she is trying to get out of bed.
If the aide is "full time" why is the aide not getting up when MIL gets up? Even a baby monitor would alert the aide that MIL is getting restless, then getting out of bed.
Try lowering the bed as low as it can go. That way when MIL gets her feet on the floor with the bed real low it might be more difficult for her to stand, that will slow her down a bit. Anyone coming to help her can raise the bed so it is easier for both.
(I hesitate to mention meds since everyone is different, but mirtazapine worked for my mom)
Or put a bed alarm on her bed that will alert whoever is near her that she's getting up and out of the bed.
You can't prevent falls 100% of the time, but you certainly want to do what you can to try and prevent them, as falls with the elderly can be quite harmful and even deadly.
We have a bed alarm, baby monitor.
All facilities should know this.
Rails are no longer allowed as restraints. If a patient cannot getting out of bed safely alone, other strategies should be used eg call bells, sensor mats, floor lying bed, staff sitter. Maybe video monitoring?
Having impaired thinking really ups the dangers in hospital 😣. A bad fall can start a *cascade of adverse events*.
Unfortunately, swapping back MIL's day/night modes or reducing her need to pee overnight may be limited or not possible. But hopefully if delerium it will settle in time.
Next admission, flag this concern well with the In-Charge person & ask what strategies they will be using.
Shut that gate BEFORE the horse bolts!!
Some things can't be fixed. If you discuss this anti anxiety medication with her doctor do ask about his experience with this increasing the chances of falling. Surely do wish you good luck.
The aide sleeps in a room down the hall. There is a baby monitor and a bed alarm. The aide sleeps through this stuff until my MIL yells or makes a really loud noise.