Is it possible to have an elderly person regain their mobility and walk again? Or even sit up and turn without assistance? Has anyone ever seen this happen?
For context: my grandma is 99 and lives at home with my mother (75), who is her primary caretaker. She suffered a hip fracture a few years ago, and after hospitalization, was sent to rehab. During her 3mo rehab stay, she underwent PT and OT and was able to move around with the assistance of a walker. When she went back home, she sprained her ankle (while trying to walk) and my mother had her stay in bed for it to heal. Here's where the issue came in: my mother is not physically able to lift my grandmother (about 4'11, 110lbs) by herself (she has her own health issues), so I am the only one who is able to get her in and out of bed. The problem is that I am not at their house every day, so my grandmother was left in bed during the entire time her ankle was healing. I do remember my grandmother complaining about being in the bed but without anyone to assist her, she was just stuck there (and by that time, her in-home PT was finished). Her mobility significantly declined until she was just no longer able to walk. Now, she needs max assist for everything, including sitting up. The arthritis she has in her hands makes it even worse as she's not able to fully grip anything to feel secure enough to move around.
Since that time, I've pushed for her to get more in-home PT, but what insurance covers will never make a difference (2x/wk for 4wks or so). I believe that just as she received daily PT in the rehab that helped her walk, it can do the same to help improve her mobility now. I've looked into gait devices, but they are extremely expensive, and not practical for her living space. With work and everything else, I am unable to be at their house every day to even attempt daily PT. When I am there, and I'm not tending to other things pertaining to her, I'll massage her limbs and perform range of motion exercises. I even bought her stationary bike pedals for when we do have those opportunities—but it's not enough.
I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how I can tackle this—perhaps putting me on to something I haven't tried, or a resource I haven't looked into. I'd LOVE to have her gain some semblance of her mobility back, which would also be an immense boost to her mental health.
Thanks in advance.
My own mother (97) lives with me and if I didn't get her up out of the bed every day, she would also lose her ability to bear her own weight. It's all about using muscles or they atrophy.
Muscle atrophy can be reversed. However, at 99 years old, I'm unsure as to how much. But at this point, anything is better than nothing.
For starters, if you or your mother can manage it, work on getting your grandmother out of bed and onto a chair.
Find a comfortable chair that has arms for support. (My mother sits in a wing-back chair with a pillow on the side that she tends to lean.) Put the chair beside her bed and see if you can just get her to sit up and pivot onto the chair. Let her sit there for as long as she can. That alone will help her. Let her eat and drink, etc.
Also, get a bedside potty chair so she can sit up and go to the bathroom if possible.
While she is in the chair, have her do some chair exercises which will at least get her moving.
Some chair exercises are:
Stand - working up to one minute.
Stand to sit, stand to sit, stand to sit
Marching in place
While sitting, lift knees/feet up and down
Arms up and down and side to side.
If she can; take a few steps, turn around and return to the chair.
A holistic remedy for osteoarthritis that works for me is a mixture of 4 oz. of castor oil & 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper (I use liquid cayenne but powdered is fine as well). I put it in a small jar and shake it up before rolling it onto any painful joints. The capsaicin in the pepper eases the pain and the castor oil is amazing for everything. (If it's too sticky, you could get her some thin cotton gloves to wear.)
Maybe this will help.
At your gr.mothers age, it may be of more consideration to mainly try and keep her comfortable , and mentally stimulated. It's a big deal that she has lived as long as she has! Try not to "over-do" yourself, or that your mom does not hurt herself over caring for your gr.mother. Your mom should be so lucky to live as long as her mother has and have someone like you who cares so much to assist!
Meanwhile -you may want to look into an AL for your grandmother , where she can get what attention she needs that's now lacking at Home.
The lesson here is that we need to save money to pay for care in our old age. There are ways.
I agree that the amount of PT prescribed is probably too low to meet any significant mobility goals. In addition, the grandmother may need occupational therapy (OT) to regain better use of her hands. However, if she makes any progress with this PT, perhaps she could then be prescribed regular outpatient PT, for which the criteria are less stringent, if it's possible to transport her to PT. I agree with others that the OP's mother--and the OP-=could learn to assist her grandmother with doing the exercises--if she makes progress. If not, the lost effort would not have been too great.
That having been said, I agree with others that the current situation is probably unsustainable. But if all involved want to do so, the initial effort to improve the OP's grandmother's mobility might be worthwhile and would not be over-demanding if not.
I am going to ask you to speak with the doctor. You will get your best answer there as to how best to proceed for this, his/her patient know to the doc.
I can certainly wish you the very best of luck.
I am 5 ft tall and being this short I have no leverage power. I can't even imagine how Mom does it. It maybe time to place grandma. At least see if she can get in home Medicaid so Mom has help.
She will never regain strength in her legs at this age. Ninety nine is old.
Next, your grandmother is 99 and is likely filled with stress fractures in all of her bones.
Third, at 99, when deconditioned, you don’t get it back.
I suggest getting a hospice consult and I agree with everyone else that the focus at this point should be your mother’s health. I hope I never live to 99 and if I do I would be wondering what I did to deserve that nightmare.
Her home care is stacked against her at this point. I wish you all good luck in the coming months.
In a good facility she will get all the care she needs *plus* social exposure and maybe even a change to join in on activities and events. My MIL is in such an arrangement. She is bedridden and refused PT, has mild/mod dementia and memory loss. She is getting great care at a great faith-based facility all covered by Medicaid and her SS.
Your Mom needs to have her life back and you (a loving and well-meaning grandkid) won't have to take up the slack and orbit around the 2 of them. This will burn you out and rob you of your youthful years.
My own 90+ Mom with osteoarthritis in her back demanded to go to PT for core strength and pain management. What ended up is that the young PTs inadvertently injured her because they have no concept of how much they should "push" someone that elder to work on the weight machines.
Your Grandma probabl won't relish the idea of a facility but if you and your Mom can scout out good local ones that accept Medicaid residents, take pictures to who her these places aren't like the hideos ones from "back in the day" (although some of these do still exist, unfortunately".
All well and good, though being immobile, grandmom would be depending on the aides getting her up and ready in enough time to be able to go and/or participate in events and activities you mentioned.
If there are not enough aides and/or their busy with other residents, too bad, so sad.
Saw it happen a few times to the bedbound resident who wanted to get up to go to therapy or another activity, but there was not an available aide around so she would have to wait. She had many a tantrum with loud screaming of "help help" that would dissolve into crying and sometime the phrase "I hate this f'n place" "I want to die"
My mother is also 99, she just wants peace not someone fiddling with her she is basically done with this thing we call life.
We let her do whatever she wants to, keep her comfortable and wait for the inevitable.
I understand that at your age it is hard to accept the reality of "Super Aging" your grandmother is in the throws of this process as well.
Help your mother, she is old too, at 75, she will not be able to keep this caregiving routine much longer.
She has lost much muscle mass that can not at this point be regained.
At 99 most people are not going to be happy no matter what . She’s tired , in pain from arthritis etc. She probably just wants it to end and die in peace .
You’re the one who wants grandma to walk and be happy again .
How does she get to see a doctor ? Perhaps hospice could be an option to come to the home . It would provide a nurse once a week to check her , make sure any pain is taken care of , as well as an aide would come 2-3 days a week for bathing , changing sheets . Medicare would pay for it , including incontinence supplies etc .
Does grandma have any money to pay for caregivers to come in the home ? This has to be very difficult for your mother .
If this is too difficult to manage at home , grandma could be placed in an SNF nursing home , if she does not have the funds, Medicaid would pay .
Who owns the house ? Is that why Mom isn’t placing grandma in a nursing home ?
A consultation with an eldercare attorney would be able to tell Mom if she would be able to remain living in the home , while grandma’s care was paid for by Medicaid . Medicaid rules vary by state .
I'm also thinking about your mom, she is 75 , needing to take care of her mom at 99, is your mom getting rest, eating, and getting breaks from caregiving. This is going to effect her health. I know your trying to help mom but have you talked to Mom on how she is holding up
I'll tell you what I would want, if I was 99 and in pain, no mobility, having my family doing everything for me. I wouldnt want more work. Id want hospice to come in.
I'm sorry to say this, I'm sure it's not what you want to hear. I'm sure you love Grandma, but put your feet in her shoes for a little bit, and think about what you would wish for.