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Mom is 83 and she falls a lot...i am her caretaker...she fell oct 30th of 2013 and sent to ER..//she broke two ribs and ruptured her spleen...emergency surgery....bleeding internally....it has affected her mind too...and my bf mom has it...affected her mind not her body like mom....and mom gets agitated with her repeating...yet mom repeats over and over...i feel its so mean....i get so frustrated ...its like she is jealous....like a kid....she can get mean too....toward myself and my 17 yr old who are the only ones heres for her....

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well, you are joining the club here...mom has problems with behavior and inisght almost certainly realted to a decline in her mental abilities/dementia. sorry this is happening to you all!! she will need a lot of help and supervision because she will likely not remember that she is at risk for falls, and will just not want the restrictions or limitations or understand them very well. it is very hard, and heartbreaking, and frustrating, for mom as well as for you.
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make sure she wears properly fitting shoes at all times. Don't let her slop in slippers. A visit to a Podiatrist will help you get her situated. Using a walker also helps. I prefer a rollator because it has wheels and does not have to be lifted. As we age our strength declines and we tend not to lift our feet so high which makes it easier to trip. add in dizziness and you have a perfect storm. Remove all throw rugs or tape them down and also remove any trailing wires. Also install grab bars in bathrooms etc.
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Find out if she had a stroke. My Mom fell in early Nov - sent her to ER. Later in the month she had another stroke also sent her to ER. The Second Stroke did more damage. At that time, the MDs found out she had had a stroke earlier in the month!
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Several helpful observations above. ie: she could be having small strokes causing the falling and which could also cause a decline in mental capacity. Or, she could have dementia or Alzheimer's causing her to not be careful in her walking - taking chances, tripping on things, etc. If she spends much of her day sitting in a chair, her strength could be declining. In an assisted living facility near us, when they have 2 or more falls, they call in our physical therapy dept to help them get moving more to increase their strength. Problem is, with dementia, they normally won't continue the exercises and getting up and walking more on their own when the therapy stops, so it is up to family to make them do it (if they are able). The repeating things over & over is an Alzheimer's type problem. They just don't remember having asked it or said it before (or getting your answer), even if it's only 2 or 3 minutes before that they said it. It does wear on the nerves, but it' not her fault. And yes, sometimes when elders have surgery, the anesthesia causes a decline in their mental condition. It can take days or weeks to get that out of their system and back to 'normal' (for them), and sometimes they never get back. Alzheimer's patients often get mean as the condition worsens, and sometimes extremely suspicious, paranoid. If she has that, there are many more problems ahead so I hope you're staying in close contact with her doctor. There is an Alzheimer's Assoc, that can help with suggestions too. It might help to contact them. http://www.alz.org/
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I had the same problem with my mom. Mom was living alone. Her neighbor told me she suspected she was falling frequently. She was receiving in -home care 7 hours 7 days a week. The last time the hospital would not release her unless she was going to a skilled nursing facility. Now she has adjusted and calls it home. She is on Medicaid and Medicare. You might want to check with your local social services agency and get the help you need as a caretaker. It's not easy.
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Does she have a walker? Fancy one up for her with paint and fake flowers, maybe that will help. I'm using one myself right now because of balance issues from an auto-immune illness. It's clunky and I don't like it, but I realize I need it. Falling is not fun. Maybe she will accept it more easily if it's pretty.
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Mom's doctor told me that the elderly don't do well under general anesthesia and can come out of surgery with loss of brain function. What a shock this must be for you. Blessings for dealing with these new life circumstances.
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Call her doctor and ask him if she needs Hospice care.
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Unless your mother had a reaction in surgery, having a broken ribs and removal of a spleen, does not render her with dementia. Was she taking any medication prior to surgery that could make her dizzy? She is now probably on pain meds which have both constipation and dizziness as side effects. My best advice is to get professional help for her at home until she can become stable.
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There is a new sensor developed to detect falls especially with seniors, this new technology can be hidden or concealed in walls since there are some seniors who refused to wear life alert devices, and some forget to wear the device so it has no use at all if they don't wear it. It would pose a great risk if your mom's fall leads to bone fracture which maybe fatal in some circumstances. Hope this helps :)
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