Mom broke her hip

[Debp]

The physical therapist, Peter, lifted mom onto the portable commode so that was a really big help. She really needed to use it....then he held her up while I wiped her off. Then he changed her diaper. That was all a big effort for her so he left after that....will return Monday. She slept soundly after that.

Discovered a gigantic bandage on her butt. Peter thinks it's covering a bedsore. So will ask the nurse to look at it tomorrow since mom's diabetic.

Tomorrow the occupational therapist and the nurse come. Both ladies so I guess they can't help lift her onto the commode.

Mom ate dinner slowly tonight, ate about half of it. She did take her multivitamin and Vitamin D.

 

[Ritajanice]

Bless her, is it on the bone part of her bottom ,Debp?...I bet that must be sore , if it is a bed sore,..yes, definitely will need looking at,...I’m pleased to hear she ate at least half of her meal, how is she in spirit,Debp?
Is she sleeping better since coming home, hospitals are so noisy, I was exhausted after my stay in hospital, slept like a log when I got home,xx

 

[JPPT1974]

Praying for your mom. Hope she can get some rest. As well as healing. Hope that you can really get some rest too.

 

[Rita]

Hi Depp,
You mean she has a potential Bedsore and they didn’t tell you !!!!!!!
Wow the fact that she has one is bad enough, sure hope it’s healing okay x

 

[Debp]

Bless her, is it on the bone part of her bottom ,Debp?...I bet that must be sore , if it is a bed sore,..yes, definitely will need looking at,...I’m pleased to hear she ate at least half of her meal, how is she in spirit,Debp?
Is she sleeping better since coming home, hospitals are so noisy, I was exhausted after my stay in hospital, slept like a log when I got home,xx

No, it's not the tail bone area. It's above that and the bandage is quite wide and tall. I only saw it because Peter the PT was holding her up after she used the portable commode.

On the 20th she was good in spirit...glad to be home I think.
Yesterday afternoon she slept well after the exertion with Peter the physical therapist.

Tonight (now) she is sleeping well.

Btw, her diabetes numbers have gotten really high since her release from the hospital... maybe stress? So I have to increase her pill again.

Before the hospital, her numbers were great....a1c was about 5.5 last August.

Hi Depp,
You mean she has a potential Bedsore and they didn’t tell you !!!!!!!
Wow the fact that she has one is bad enough, sure hope it’s healing okay x

No, they didn't tell me. Since she is diabetic I sure want the visiting nurse to look at it.

I also had to keep after them to give her a glass of water (they would only put a pitcher down on the table). I told them she won't drink it unless you hand it to her.

Plus I had to tell them she's going to starve to death if she doesn't get some food in her....she didn't eat for a week, hardly drank. (At first it was because of having the surgery and swollen throat for one day....but then when she was approved to receive meals, she still wasn't eating from Thursday dinner through Sunday.)

When I visited her I would wash her dentures. But I got a cold and couldn't go in for some days. So I called to ask them to please wash her dentures. But it seemed they only washed them when I phoned them to do it. (Mom wouldn't ask them.)

The hospital is supposed to be good but after all of the above, I am wondering.

 

[Rita]

So sorry Depp, our health service is not brilliant but locally I can’t fault the hospitals - yes we have long waits but what you have mentioned above would be classed as neglect. In the care home it Would have brought the authorities in, more so if bedsores were flaring up.
Considering you all pay for your health care - I find the issues you have experienced with your mum even more worrying. Let’s hope, and pray that your mum won’t have to go in again xxxx

 

[Pearl]

So sorry Depp, our health service is not brilliant but locally I can’t fault the hospitals - yes we have long waits but what you have mentioned above would be classed as neglect. In the care home it Would have brought the authorities in, more so if bedsores were flaring up.
Considering you all pay for your health care - I find the issues you have experienced with your mum even more worrying. Let’s hope, and pray that your mum won’t have to go in again xxxx

It is neglect and there's no excuse for it. Even though the wards were short on staff when i was in hospital in 2021 everybody was looked after properly and there were some ladies who needed round the clock care on the stroke ward where I was. The nursing staff were brilliant. Those who left Depp's mum in such a state aren't fit to be called nurses.

 

[Ritajanice]

I’m afraid it was the same story for me when I was hospitalised, Debp.

Any concerns voice it Debp, your mother has the right to be looked after, as we all are...

As for that bed sore...I think Rita said it all...nothing more to add.

God Bless you Debps Mum...xx

 

[Rita]

So sorry it was the same for you @Ritajanice, I guess it does depend on which hospital ect

 

[Debp]

So sorry Depp, our health service is not brilliant but locally I can’t fault the hospitals - yes we have long waits but what you have mentioned above would be classed as neglect. In the care home it Would have brought the authorities in, more so if bedsores were flaring up.
Considering you all pay for your health care - I find the issues you have experienced with your mum even more worrying. Let’s hope, and pray that your mum won’t have to go in again xxxx

The visiting nurse removed the large bandage from mom's butt. Thankfully, there was no infection under it. She did see some very tiny hole and asked if it had always been there. Since it was right by the butt crack, I have no idea!

I need to order some iodine solution. The nurse was surprised the hospital didn't send instructions about cleaning the three surgical incisions.

Yesterday the occupational therapist came...a small young woman. She changed Mom's diaper. Mom can't turn on her sides too easily. Hopefully, that will improve in time.

P.S. About paying for healthcare here, funny thing is: if you have zero dollars, the States each pay for someone's healthcare here. Even illegal migrants will get free healthcare.

A couple of my friends/neighbors are Hispanic. They know people that get everything for free here. Plus they can get reduced rent.... paying practically nothing.

 

[Rita]

The visiting nurse removed the large bandage from mom's butt. Thankfully, there was no infection under it. She did see some very tiny hole and asked if it had always been there. Since it was right by the butt crack, I have no idea!

I need to order some iodine solution. The nurse was surprised the hospital didn't send instructions about cleaning the three surgical incisions.

Yesterday the occupational therapist came...a small young woman. She changed Mom's diaper. Mom can't turn on her sides too easily. Hopefully, that will improve in time.

P.S. About paying for healthcare here, funny thing is: if you have zero dollars, the States each pay for someone's healthcare here. Even illegal migrants will get free healthcare.

A couple of my friends/neighbors are Hispanic. They know people that get everything for free here. Plus they can get reduced rent.... paying practically nothing.

Hope your mum is doing okay today, how about you, how are you doing ?
Is free healthcare the same in all states if you don’t have insurance ?
I know a friend of my sons , also Hispanic, is in need of an op for Carpal tunnel ( spelling ) she can’t get the op and she can’t work because of the injury , if they did the op she could work. I think she lives in Alaska I
We do have many in the U.K. that know how to work the benefit system , some are quite able to work. I must admit that the system has helped me in recent months.
Over here , regardless of income , you can get treatment , so even those who have private health care can go to an NHS hospital or doctors.

 

[Debp]

Hope your mum is doing okay today, how about you, how are you doing ?
Is free healthcare the same in all states if you don’t have insurance ?
I know a friend of my sons , also Hispanic, is in need of an op for Carpal tunnel ( spelling ) she can’t get the op and she can’t work because of the injury , if they did the op she could work. I think she lives in Alaska I
We do have many in the U.K. that know how to work the benefit system , some are quite able to work. I must admit that the system has helped me in recent months.
Over here , regardless of income , you can get treatment , so even those who have private health care can go to an NHS hospital or doctors.

Mom ate better today and I'll check her blood sugar later. I'm not feeling bad but I'm sure flunking diaper changing! For some reason the first one I did went on better. This one forget it! I tried to place an extra bed protector pad, too, but couldn't get that under much of her either.

About your friend needing the surgery....maybe she has a little money in the bank? If you have even a certain low amount, you won't get any free healthcare.

California has a thing called Medi-Cal. The others States call it Medicaid. That's what the people with zero dollars get....free healthcare.

Mom and I have Medicare so we have to pay 20%. I just got the X-ray bill, not too bad...$27. Have no idea what the surgery will cost but going a day at a time.

 

[Debp]

P.S. The home care agency is run by Koreans, usually Christians. The boss or maybe the owner dropped off a lot of bed protectors and diapers for mom today.

Tomorrow he is coming with an iodine solution for disinfecting mom's incisions. He is also a nurse. The agency is next door so he can walk over.

 

[Rita]

Pleased you are getting some support Depp. Stupid question, are there any videos on You tube that would give tips on how to put the Pads on by yourself ( sorry don’t call them diapers here as they are not babies, but adults - in the care home certain words were not acceptable )
Your doing a great job and I am sure your mum appreciates being home xxxxx

 

[Ritajanice]

Hi Debp, how is your Mum coping with her pain?

I have a low pain threshold, and remember the pain of my broken wrist ,all those years ago, when they took the plaster off I had to wear a splint, plus I was still in a lot of pain, I did physio at home, it took weeks to build up the strength and muscle in my arm and wrist.

It’s times like this when I often think what Jesus must have gone through on that cross.....unbearable agony!!

 

[Debp]

Pleased you are getting some support Depp. Stupid question, are there any videos on You tube that would give tips on how to put the Pads on by yourself ( sorry don’t call them diapers here as they are not babies, but adults - in the care home certain words were not acceptable )
Your doing a great job and I am sure your mum appreciates being home xxxxx

That's a good idea about looking for some videos.

Maybe most of the problem is because Mom is not able to turn over onto her sides very much. Hopefully the PT and OT can work with her on that...they come Monday (PT) and Tuesday (OT), and as often as they can after that.

Mom keeps sliding down on the bed. Even at the hospitals she would do that. So two of them would lift her back up.

Right now her feet and ankles are dangling off the bed. I think when Steve comes to drop off the iodine solution later today that he will probably help me get her back up nearer to the head of the bed.

I tried pulling the top portion of the sheet she's laying on but I couldn't budge her.

 

[Debp]

Hi Debp, how is your Mum coping with her pain?

I have a low pain threshold, and remember the pain of my broken wrist ,all those years ago, when they took the plaster off I had to wear a splint, plus I was still in a lot of pain, I did physio at home, it took weeks to build up the strength and muscle in my arm and wrist.

It’s times like this when I often think what Jesus must have gone through on that cross.....unbearable agony!!

She doesn't seem to have any pain. However, she isn't moving that much so maybe that's why.

She didn't even complain about pain at the hospital. Only after falling and before surgery, she said her leg hurt.

 

[Rita]

It’s not easy on your own Depp - I use to struggle with my dad. Yes, most of the helpful ways with the pads is to roll, unless you can roll her to the good side and then lay the pad down and push it as far as you can and roll her back onto the pad that way and straighten it up ( it’s difficult to explain )
The sheet is a good way to pull someone up a bed, but usually it requires two people. It’s surprising how heavy a person is when they cannot move much themselves.

 

[Ritajanice]

She doesn't seem to have any pain. However, she isn't moving that much so maybe that's why.

She didn't even complain about pain at the hospital. Only after falling and before surgery, she said her leg hurt.

Sounds like she has a high pain threshold....my mother was the same, she never complained about pain...even after heart surgery.....unlike me...found this information online.

A broken hip can cause considerable painand prevent you from walking. For instance, stress fractures of the hip can trigger groin pain when you stand or move. It may cause you to limp when you walk, and strenuous activities, such as running and climbing stairs, can be excruciating.

 

[Debp]

It’s not easy on your own Depp - I use to struggle with my dad. Yes, most of the helpful ways with the pads is to roll, unless you can roll her to the good side and then lay the pad down and push it as far as you can and roll her back onto the pad that way and straighten it up ( it’s difficult to explain )
The sheet is a good way to pull someone up a bed, but usually it requires two people. It’s surprising how heavy a person is when they cannot move much themselves.

I did watch a few videos like you mentioned about how to change a person. Hopefully, that helps.... putting a person on their side and getting the diaper or pad between their legs and going from there.