Do people with dementia always appear to be falling out of their chairs?
My grandma has a lot of things going on with her. She has severe dementia, congestive heart failure and pneumonia. Recently, she has started this sitting up in her chair on the very edge, then if you watch her, she appears to be falling asleep sitting up but she really isn't. She just sits there and keeps doing falling reflex over and over again jerking to sit up. She will sit and then just start to fall forward and quickly jerk herself to sit up. I know at night time, (she sleeps in a recliner since she is afraid of beds after being in rehab a few years ago), she slides out practically out of her chair to the point of where her feet are flat on the floor and shes' flat on her back. Is this normal? Is there a reason it's happening? Do I encourage her to sit back and relax? I'm just worried it's another sign of her getting closer and closer to dying or becoming sicker and I'm missing it.
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Facilities don't provide modern wheelchairs and other devices to everyone who can benefit from chairs with seatbelts or baby high-chair/table-type restraints.
Restraint methods are a violation of various laws and policies and the jerry chairs kind of get around this sticky issue. In the past various restraints became a de facto method of behavior control that, when left unsupervised, may be hazardous to some. The snf where my spouse is uses "jerry chairs" that are like a recliner on wheels for patients who tend to slide off their chairs. These persons are too weak to pull themselves out of the chair, so restraints are not necessary to keep them safe. Is your grandma able to use this type of chair?
A doctor at the hospital and a therapist at the snf agree my spouse needs to be upright more often to keep his strength. Otherwise the core muscles of the trunk continue to weaken until he just would not be able to sit upright.
My best guess is that she is actually falling asleep and for now is able to jerk awake before she falls. Make sure she has something soft to fall on, she does not need something broken to add to her problems.
I don't know why she slips out of the recliner. Does it have a slippery surface? Can you put a blanket under her that will provide some traction.
also placing a pillow under her knees may help too.
Have you considered having hospice come in as they can help with these problems. it sounds as though her condition would make her appropriate for admission.