Looking for some suggestions here...my ninety-plus year old mom broke her hip early in the summer and has only recently come home from rehab. One of the first things she did when she got home (lives on her own)was hightail it down to HR at her job(she works full time as an administrative assistant at a university) to keep her job intact. So far so good. We have hired agency aides who are doing 12 hour shifts and again so far so good. She is still doing extensive pt but is mostly able to get around with a walker (wheelchair for longer outings, also uses the walker with the built in seat). But the aides are getting expensive and she is thinking about giving up the night one. I think that this is a mistake, this is her third fall and she would probably be most at risk at night home alone. I am thinking to keep the night one (8-8) who can help her with bath in the evening and getting dressed in the morning. Ideally I would like not to give up either, but, money. Any ideas? Thanks.
How often is she up at night?
When my grandmother broke her hip it was because she fell getting out of the bath too quickly to answer the phone.
Keep in mind often the hip breaks, then the person falls. We often think that the fall caused the broken hip, but it is the other way around some of the time.
Keep the night time person.
What does the daytime aid do if she is working full time? Perhaps she isn't working yet but made sure her job would be ready when she is ready to return to work? I suppose the daytime aid could help her with her dress and bath just as easily as the night time aid. Does she normally get up during the night? If she is home all day alone and normally sleeps during the time the night aid is there, I might lean more toward the daytime aid and shift the dangerous activities to that aid.
You have a lot of good points here with all the different answers but I think a little more information would be helpful.
Blessings,
Jamie
If she has recurring falls, do you know why? I ask because, sometimes it's not so much someone tripping, but, having poor balance.