My 95-year-old mom in memory care, fell and broke her hip. She had surgery to repair it and has spent a month in rehab. Now she is back in memory care and that very night she pulled out the tubing on the wound vac and the next day she pulled it out again along with the dressing inside the wound. The people at her facility don't deal with that, so we had to get her signed up for home health and they come out to replace it. Usually they come out 3 times a week to change the dressing, but it looks like they may have to do it almost every day if she keeps this up.
Have you discussed it with her doctor or any home health care workers? I'd ask if there are any other options? The only think I could think of is to constantly watch her so she can't do it. Or ask the doctor about the adult onsies. Would her wound and the pack fit in an adult onsie? Would it be safe to use? I'd ask her doctor and see what the options are. I hope you find some answers.
Where is the wound vac tubing located? As Sunnygirl suggests, could clothing help prevent this? My mother (with dementia) kept pulling her catheter tube out. It wasn't really deliberate. Her hand would brush against the tube, she'd think, "What the heck is this?" and out it would come. After this happened a few times I noticed that she was being dressed in short nighties. I suggested that she always have pajama bottoms on. Word got out to all the aides who assisted with dressing, Mom now didn't feel that strange thing on her leg if her hand happened to touche it, and she didn't pull the tube out again. The staff thought I was brilliant. Duh.
So if there is a way to cover your mother's tube with clothing, I'd sure try that. Websites that sell adaptive clothing have one-piece jump suit type garments that fasten in the back. If it doesn't need to fasten in the back -- if mom would not unzip it -- adult onsies pajamas are very popular now and you can buy them in discount stores or high-end department stores. Would mom be pleased with a lovely new outfit?
This is so hard! I hope you find a solution to this challenge!
As far as catheters are concerned they may just be a plain nuisance or causing bladder spasms
IVs are another story. They can also become quite painful and are frequently left in "just in case" if you notice that is the last thing they do before discharging a patient.
As far as dad and the wheelchair are concerned. You are on the right track with the gait belt but what you actually need is a harness. I have never seen one but a design on the lines of seat belt fabric. Two long pieces. one end of each permanently attacched to the back of the wheel chair. bring both ends under the sat and up between the legs/ Cross them over the chest and shoulders and secure to the back of the chair with quick release buckles. A harness maker could make something up for you.
Of course the silly old man will eventually lean too far and fall. but right now it's fun to tweak your tail
My dad is a really problematic one!! They can wrap his IVs so thick and he'll still find a way to pull out the IV.
One day I came into his hospital room and he had blood all over his blanket and pillow. What the heck?? He'd unwrapped the entire thick gauze covering they'd covered it with like it was a toy and then pulled out the IV.
They can't put a catheter in as he'll pull that out too. He's one that always has to "fiddle" and even if they put "mittens" on him, he'll find a way to do things he's not supposed to.
When he's in the hospital, they have him on 15 minute checks because he's just plain "naughty". One time when he was in the hospital after his stroke; they had him tied into a chair with mittens on him, and he somehow untied himself, stood up, and fell sideways onto the bed, saying, "I'm okay, I'm okay" as the male nurse hurdled the nurses station and ran to his bedside.
I have a hard time taking him to the doctor as after I get him off the Medical Bus, he likes to lean really far forward in his wheelchair, in addition to not keeping his feet on the foot pedals of his wheelchair. I've tried using a gait belt to keep him from leaning forward; yet then he skootches down so far that it's under his armpits. I've used shoestrings to tie his feet to the foot pedals, but he finds a way to lift his feet out of those too, so it's gotten to the point that I hate taking him to his MD.
He knows what he's doing, as the last time we saw his MD and he was leaning so far forward in his wheelchair, I of course got up from my chair to keep him from falling out of it.
He told his MD, "She's worries about me falling out..but I won't..she worries too much. I know how far I can lean before I fall out"
Yeah sure Dad...
It's tough when they're just plain naughty all the time..lol!!
It reminds me when Coy was in TCU and his roommate was also a man with dementia who'd been an engineer. He explained cheerfully that he was there because his wife needed quiet time to herself after some medical procedure. "I can't remember to leave my catheter in. I keep pulling it out and then they have to put it back in." Oh my, if those two guys had been feeling just a little more active they could have caused consternation on that floor!
Men can be so obstinate when it comes to telling them NO!!! In hindsight it is funny, but at the time quite frustrating!!!
I hope you find a way to make the situation better, so it doesn't keep happening!