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She has fallen 3 or 4 times to my knowledge? I asked about bed alarm or rails. I was told it was not allowed. It’s a restraint issue. What can I do? Every time she falls her dementia progresses.

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They need to lower her bed or put her mattress on the ground, but not sure they will be amenable to this since it is a rehab facility and not a nursing home.

I had the same situation with my very elderly Aunt with advanced dementia who broke her hip and was in rehab to get her to the point of pivoting on it. She was still trying to get out of bed in the rehab center. The "poor mobility/advancing dementia" is a challenging problem to solve due to all the "restraint" rules. My Aunt's sister and nieces were coming in to make sure she ate and drank enough and to keep her distracted & stay in her bed.

There is such a thing as a concave mattress, which makes it very difficult to get out of the bed. But the lowere bed or mattress on the ground will probably be easier and quicker solution.

Not sure what having her medical records will do for the situation. Elders fall often and for all sorts of reasons. She could have a UTI that is causing her to be more confused and imbalanced than normal. I would test her for this if I were you.
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Reply to Geaton777
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Falls are, yes, with the aging, often the beginning of the end. Certainly was with my mother.
They have told you the truth. In most states now anything like alarms and rails aren't allowed. They have had people die in attempting to get around rails.
This is a balance issue. Not a lot to be done. They do have good rubber matting in most places to put on either side of bed. Doesn't prevent other falls. I am afraid this may be the way of it until the end now.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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TerriCornwell, welcome to the forum. You've come to the right place as the caregivers on the forum (current and former) have a lot of experience, with great ideas.


I remember back when my Mom (she was in her 90's) had a major fall at home and was hospitalized then placed in a rehab center. Her fall had accelerated her dementia and just standing up would cause her to fall. Since my Mom was not getting better, she was placed in their skilled nursing facility. The Staff tried so many different things to keep Mom from falling but Mom somehow worked her way around them.


The Staff lowered Mom bed and placed fall mats on the sides of her bed. Mom kept climbing out and falling. When Mom was in bed, they would place pillows around her which kept her from climbing out, but Mom wasn't able to roll over thus this was hurting her back.


The Staff tried using a seat-belt in Mom's wheelchair to keep her from tumbling out. Mom was the master at unbuckling that seat-belt since she had decades of practice in the car. A mile from home, we would hear the seat belt being un-clicked.... (sigh). Even with her late stage dementia, she remembered.


The Staff decided to try a geri-wheelchair and would place a pillow under Mom's knees. That at least gave more time for the Staff between Mom tumbling out. It would take quite a while (at least an hour or two) for Mom to pull and tug at that pillow to remove it.


Maybe have the Staff try the above ideas, hope one or all will work.
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Reply to freqflyer
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Terri,
When you discuss this with the facility itself what do they tell you?
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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You should be having a care meeting by now,

Why is Mom in Rehab. Was she in the hospital and now in Rehab to get her strength back? It took 2 weeks to have a care meeting for my Mom who suffered from Dementia. All I heard from therapy was that she could not follow directions and could not remember her exercises. There are other things I was not happy about. I had told them at admission that there was no money after the 20days Medicare pays for. They discharged her the 18th day. I swore then she would never go to rehab again. I was told she would never walk again unassisted. She got back to the AL andcwithin 24 hrs was walking all over with her walker.

Rehab is a choice. They word it "we are sending Mom to Rehab, do you have a choice of facility?" But really you do not have to go. Its a money maker for the facility, the first 20 days they are guarenteed to be paid 100% by Medicare. My GF turned it down and so did my Dad. You can also asked to be discharged, chose to go to another facility or call 911 if you feel you need to go and Rehab will not send you. And insurance will pay up to when you walk out the door. Don't let staff say otherwise.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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