My uncle recently broke his hip. He has Parkinson’s and dementia. He has a caretaker and family to assist him, he needs a walker and assistance to walk. However, he does not listen and keeps trying to get up and walk unattended and tries to get up at night. Any suggestions on how to keep him from getting up?
With the dementia, maybe your Uncle is at a stage where he doesn't remember he can walk. That happened to my own Mom, and she couldn't help it, her brain wasn't communicating right, and sadly there is nothing one can do to correct that brain communication.
I bet your Uncle is a two person lift, so are there two people with him during the sleeping hours? As Ahmijoy had mentioned above, it might be time for the family to think about placing the Uncle in a continuing care facility.
I used a motion sensor in the bedroom, and carried the receiver with me. If my husband started to get up I would hear the buzz. It took a bit of experimenting to learn where to aim it so it wouldn't pick up movement within the bed, but then it worked well. Also I helped him use a urinal bottle rather than having him walk to the bathroom.
Can he safely stand on his own? Having the walker right next to where he is seated may help him remember that he needs help. Or not. Sigh. His brain is broken.
No amount of reasoning is going to change things. Constant supervision may be necessary. Can his caregiver stay near him most of the time? Can a family member take over when the caregiver takes breaks, goes to the bathroom, etc?
Have you considered a commode positioned next to his bed, lid up? Maybe he'll see that and won't feel the nee to walk to the bathroom.
I'd try to figure out if he is having trouble sleeping. If so, I'd discuss a sleep aid with his doctor. Often people who have dementia suffer with sleep disorders. If he is resting better, he may not be as inclined to roam.
Also, is he able to wear depends? If he is getting up because he's wet, I'd try to fix it so he stays dry with depends and pads.
And, we started using a bed alarm that fits on the mattress. It alerts when she gets up, so the caretaker can go to her. They have to be fast though. If he's at home, it might pay to have a person in the same room to attend to him as soon as he gets up and the alarm goes off.
It can be very frustrating to keep people from falling, regardless of where they are. I hope some of the tips help some.
You have to have someone who is willing to perform this task. You won't get it in a care facility.
I bought a lift chair a few weeks ago because lifting her was taking a toll on me. I hadn't really worried about her using it because she forgets it's a lift chair most of the time, and she doesn't know how to use the remote. (Macular degeneration makes her unable to see the button diagrams)
Last week when I was in my bedroom, she apparently needed to use the bathroom. She forgets that she needs help too. Well I guess she saw the remote sitting there and kept pushing buttons until she got up. Her walker was right there, but she still fell after a few steps. She got some bruises and is still hurting. I feel so bad for her. Anyway, now I've started hiding the remote. I feel bad doing that, but I can't be in there every minute of the day.
I'm not sure why I felt the need to ramble about my own experience. We obviously don't have it figured out.
I did put a baby monitor in her room and I'm a light sleeper, so I can hear if she's moving around in there. I love the idea of the motion detector that a few people mentioned above!
I could use that for her bedroom because she sleeps with her door closed. We have pets, so it wouldn't work in the living room.
Best of luck to you.
If I leave the room, even if I tell her I will be right back, she doesn't listen (or it doesn't register) and she gets up. She wants to know where everyone is. The other day, I put her in a wheelchair, buckled the belt and told her I had to run downstairs to take care of laundry... I was gone 2 minutes. I came upstairs and she was standing by the end table. If she would have stepped backwards, she would have fallen...
We have an alarm, but it is soooo loud. It is deafening. (And the volume can't be adjusted.) We also have a fall pad to put next to her bed (hospital bed). She has gotten weaker, so when I spend the night, I am able to put the rails up on the bed without worrying about her sliding out the bottom or top of the bed (a PT told me that was a dementia thing, too...). But, it doesn't stop Mom from throwing her legs over the railing...
It is very hard and very frustrating.... We just want them to be safe....
You can get lift chairs at many furniture stores, or online. Spinlife.com has a huge selection of chairs and mobility aids. Amazon also carries them. I researched before buying and decided I wanted one with two motors, that way you can move the foot rest independently of the back. Price range is $400-3000 just depending on where you buy and what model.
I ended up finding one locally. I paid about $1000 and delivery was cheap. Maybe $40? But that will vary. Delivery was one of the reasons I was hesitant to buy online. If it's shipped to you, it's usually brought to the door. I would have had to get it inside. Spinlife offers a few different delivery options including "white glove" service where they'll set it up for you but it's really expensive.
Mapotter
I had to laugh when you mentioned the alarm. We must have purchased the same one. I feel like it's loud enough to alert the entire neighborhood. We've never used it because I'm afraid it would scare her to death. Maybe even cause a fall or heart attack. I'm not sure who designed that but I can't imagine it being suitable for any situation.
It took some trial and error on our part to find the best ones for dad as far as brand and size. I believe we go through Liberator Medical to get them and Medicare pays for them. They sent samples in the beginning for us to try.
I hope you find what works best for your situation. This is a tough ride....I wish you the best.
SMART CAREGIVER TL-5102MP Motion Sensor And Pager' from Amazon for $25. Works great unless you have a pet that wanders around