My 82 y/o father suffers greatly with pain from osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. He is deaf and hearing aids work little to help. He stays in bed almost constantly staring at the ceiling. Lights off, no tv, no music, no reading but awake and staring at the ceiling. What do I do?
Second, with both RA and OA, he has a double whammy with pain. If he isn't already, you need to get him to a board certified pain management specialist, preferably one with geriatric experience. Without sufficient pain control, he isn't going to want to move and, yes, that will begin to cause its own unique subset of complications.
I agree that he needs a hospital bed if he doesn't already have one and maybe pneumatic air mattress that is designed for an adjustable bed. it may also help if you get him and electric lift chair that helps him be raised and lowered from the sitting position. Situate this chair in a place where the rest of the family spends time, such as the living room, den or great room, where he can be socially included as part of the family rather than be secluded in his bedroom. Initially you could place the chair in his bedroom so he has an alternative to the bed. To get these chairs through the doorway of bedrooms, you have to make sure you get one of the more expensive models where the back detaches.
If you can get him sitting up, watching television, listening to music, etc. and he begins to feel socially involved in the family, he might take more interest in life. Wirh so many channels available on TV these days, you can surely find a program on farming or gardening may grab his attention.
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