Fell Again

[patricia1]

Today I Fell Again
The Worse Part Is Getting Up.
My Husband Is A Big Strong Man And I Am All Of 130lb And It Took A Half Hour To Get Me Up.
I Have No Upper Arm Strenght So I Was Of No Help
He Tried Putting A Belt Around Me But That Wasnt Much Help.
Any Suggestions For The Next Time ,and There Will Be A Next Time

Thanks
Pat

 

[BethU]

Pat ... so sorry for the fall. I'm sure I will be in the same boat as my arms get weaker.

There was a thread on the Patients Like Me forum on falls, and a couple people had interesting solutions. One woman had a kind of lift chair that she could get on the footrest and it would raise her up. I'll see if I can find the thread.

 

[patricia1]

Thank You Beth

Pat

 

[sdsyd]

Mechanical lifts work well, but are spendy. Hope you didn't get hurt too badly and that your hubby didnt hurt himself trying to help.

Cindy

 

[CindyM]

My thoughts exactly, Patricia. Hope you are both not too sore tonight!

I am sure our PALS have some good ideas, although my first thought is along the lines of prevention of the falls in the first place. Just a thouoght...Cindy

 

[Al]

We had a Hoyer lift from the ALS SOCIETY loan closet. We hadn't used it other than for practice transfers in anticipation of things to come. Last time I fell (May) it sure came in handy. Might be time to see if your local chapter has a loner. Better than calling 911.

AL.

 

[Markbreton]

Tammy has fallen at least 4 times now in the last 2 months. Once it required an ambulance trip the emergency and 15 stitches to her head. Onother time a call to 911 as I was 45 minutes away. She uses a walker all the time now and they have started measuring her for an electric wheelchair. I'm going to ask out OT about a lift for her. I hate to say it but I'm exhausted! Tammy gets up everynight to pee and I have to help her up and back into bed as well as to help her put her bipap on. Last night she needed help at 2:15 and I could not get back to sleep. It makes for a very hard day at work the next day. The worst part is I got upset with her, like it was her fault! I was a complete ASS! It's getting VERRRRY hard now, even with support workers coming to the house 4 days a week. I wish I could take a pill to give me energy....I could think of a few but they are illegal.... Anyway enough complaining, my beautiful wife is still with me and our family and everyday we have together is a beautiful day!
Mark

 

[patricia1]

Cindy I am sooooo sore today I never thought I had so many muscles left but they are all sore.
Al I will look into a holts from the closet I just thought there was a smaller device.

Mark I know how you feel My husband gets so upset with me when I fall blamig me for being stupid But I know its becuse he loves me and doesnt want to see me get hurt.

We appreciate all our caregivers without you guys we wouldnt be able to survive.


Thanks Pat

 

[califsand]

We had A LOT of falls with my Dad, even with him using a walker, and once his arms became weaker, I could no longer help him get up. I didn't have a hoyer lift but probably could have gotten one from the MDA loan closet here in town. It's what Hospice uses and they said that it is easy for even just one person to use. My way of coping was to call 911 and ask for a firemen lift assist... I would make sure they understood that my father was NOT injured, but too hard for me to pick up. The firemen would come over, no sirens, and then pick him up for me and put him on his recliner chair or at his desk. If you don't stress you want firemen only, they will send an ambulance and the EMT's don't like it if a patient can't talk... they want to take them to the ER and it's often a big argument. I learned that one the hard way! We got to know the firemen VERY well and Dad, being a retired fireman, really loved it when they came to help, he would laugh the whole time while they lifted him up. They also treated him with a lot of respect and assured me that it was okay to call them, even at 4am, and never to feel bad about asking them for help. They were thrilled to see my level of devotion and didn't blame me for his falls. Thank goodness! Of course most were middle of the night when I was sleeping and he thought he could use the bathroom by himself. .. or I wouldn't wake up when he tried to call me. That's how we coped with it though. Hope that helps!

 

[MtPockets]

I am so sorry to hear about the falling, Pat. I can identify with that. My arm muscles are going fast and my dear wife had tendon surgery on her right elbow due to tearing the tendon, lifting me. Some of us are stubborn, to put it mildly.

Something to consider that AL shared with me that made me think twice; If you should fall and break a hip, you will spend a long time in the hospital flat on your back. Very dangerous and not worth the risk. Some things are just not worth taking a chance with.

Please be careful and check with MDA and ALS to get a loaner lift if needed.

 

[BethU]

Pat, this was the only message I could find on PLM about getting up from a fall. I had remembered it as a longer discussion.

when i fall and cant get up i scoot to my lift recliner and let the foot lift do the work.
I'm not sure what a lift recliner is.

One time I was down on the floor and couldn't get up ... my left leg kept giving way ... and ended up crawling to the bedroom and flopping my top half across the bed, and then I was able to push myself up onto the bed with my right leg.

Not much help. Sorry!

 

[Jennifer51]

Yes why dont you ask if anyone has a loan hoist... In the uk it seems that we cannot loan them, havent found anyone yet! but, I hate to say this, we found someone on ebay uk....they had some at really really reasonable prices...very affordable, (about one tenth of the price of new) so when we need a hoist, we are going to buy two...one for upstairs and one for down...dont know if anyone your side of the pond will have them.

 

[Micheline]

Fell again

I So know what you are talking about. I need assistance to get up from the recliner/lift chair, the toilet, bath bench (forget about sitting on a couch or regular chair). My legs just don't have the strength anymore, but I keep trying! And know the last 2-3 weeks I am unable to push myself up and out of the wheelchair (when I am in it) I keep trying but it gets so exhausting. As for falls, I fear them and get little panic attacks. I feel so bad when I have to get my hubby to help, especially in the wee hours of the mornings. He does get a little annoyed, completely understandable though he works 10 hrs a day then comes home to me.:roll: I have tried to wait for him to get up, but the seat is not that comfortable! (might need to put a pillow in the bathroom…LOL

I suggested that we put in a pulley type contraption in the bathroom so the kids could help me when I go. I still might get him to do it, definitely cheaper that a lift. But we will see.

 

[CindyM]

The pulley sounds like a good idea. If you don't know a handy person you may even e able to buy something serviceable on line.

 

[Markbreton]

Hi Micheline. Your situation is EXACTLY what Tammy and I are currently facing. When I read your comment it could have just as well have been me saying it. Please let me know what kind of aids you come up with....
Mark