Has anyone had any experience with swollen hands? My grandmother (advanced dementia) has been spending a lot more time in bed lately and she's down with a cold at the moment. I've noticed that her hands are a lot more swollen today. She is turned every four hours and she has not moved her fingers and hands much lately as well. Would it be ok just to massage her hands or should I be careful and take her straight to the doctors?
The swelling of the hands could be caused by a couple of things. You mentioned that she has advanced dementia and stays mostly in bed. It may be that her circulation is not so efficient at returning fluids now or her organs are not maintaining the right osmotic balance for her blood. Gentle massages wouldn't hurt. Keeping her hands on top of her when possible wouldn't hurt, either, though I know it would be hard to do.
When someone is near the end of life, it can be hard to know which symptoms to be concerned with and which ones to let pass. It is the reason I think hospice is so good. Their specialty is providing comfort, instead of trying to fix things. This can save much stress on the patient and the families.