My Mother in Law has been in a nursing home for a year, she’s got dementia, she had trouble walking when she went in, but is now pretty much just in a wheel chair now. She’d had falls in the beginning when she was there. The NH’s solution was to move her to sit in front of the nurse’s station during the day and night. I understand the day part, even if she naps crunched over in a chair, but she doesn’t sleep in a bed at night either. I understand it’s because of the fall risk if she wakes at night. But isn’t there some better way to address the fall concern and still let her sleep in a bed?
First - she shouldn't be "crunched over in a chair", there are good supportive tilt in place wheelchairs, or geri chairs that can allow her to comfortably recline, nothing makes my blood boil like seeing people stuck in inappropriate simple wheelchairs!
At night there is no reason she can't be in bed, although rails and restraints aren't allowed there are several other things that can be done to minimize her risks:
*lowering the bed and placing fall mats on the floor
*bed alarms
*mattress covers with "wings" that discourage getting up
like this.....https://www.spinlife.com/Drive-Medical-Defined-Perimeter-Mattress-Cover-Fall-Prevention/spec.cfm?productID=113093
Aside from quality of life concerns sitting in the same position day and night puts her at high risk for pressure ulcers, in fact if I were you I would be checking that she doesn't already have one.
My mom with Parkinson’s disease had one on her bed in our house. At the nursing home for rehab they did not allow it. So mom had a really hard time getting in and out of bed.
Awhile back though, end of life hospice facilities allowed restraints because my brother had to be restrained.
I personally don’t feel like a bed rail should even be considered a restraint. We put babies in cribs. Some elderly people become as helpless as babies.
Best wishes to you. I hope that you are able to find a suitable solution. It’s sad that she can’t stretch out in a bed instead of being forced to remain in a wheelchair.
What about sores? Is she sitting on the recommended cushion because if not her skin will break down and she will have to deal with sores.
Sores need to be treated to heal and are painful. I would look into that. Just remember the elderly get embarrassed. That generation is extremely modest.