Aches, Pains, Dementia and Aging – A Bad Combination

Gladys fell on Tuesday evening.  She didn’t seem to hurt herself and she doesn’t remember falling. However, she is moving more slowly than usual and needs more assistance.  I kept her home from day care on Wednesday so I could keep an eye on her and give her the help she needed.  The following is an account of what transpired this morning.  For the new caregiver and the soon to be caregiver, it’s a glimpse of what could be things to come.  For the veteran caregiver, you’ve probably been there.

______________________________________________________

It’s 4:06 AM and I go downstairs to check on Gladys.  She is sitting in the chair at the end of her bed holding the comforter up to herself, trying to keep warm.  I ask Gladys why she is sitting in the chair.  She doesn’t know.  I suspect she got up to use the bedside commode but was unable to get back into the bed.

I help her out of the chair and watch her struggle to lift each leg to walk the six feet back to her bed.  Her leg trembles as it starts and stops on its way to a lift.  Eventually she drags the leg enough to move about an inch.  She repeats the same thing with the other leg.  In the meantime she struggles with her upper body, trying to navigate the walker in the direction she wants it to go.  About ten minutes later she has walked the six feet and is standing at the side of the bed.

She sits down on the side of the bed and attempts to push herself back and into the bed.  Her arms have no strength and she doesn’t move an inch.  I lift her legs into the bed and I hear her bones creaking and feel them moving around under her skin.  Her face writhes in pain.  She is in a very awkward position and I can’t move her any further, so I call my husband, Fred, to help me.  We finally get her comfortably positioned and everyone goes back to bed.  It’s 4:35 AM.

At 5:30 AM I hear Gladys moving around and I go back down to her room.  She is standing in front of her bedside commode trying to adjust her clothes.  She doesn’t know that I am watching and continues to struggle.  I make my presence known and she continues with her clothing.  She is trying to pull her underwear down and her gown up but she can’t figure out which piece of clothing is her her hand.  She stops in frustration, lets out a heavy sigh and asks me, “what am I trying to do?”  I tell her what to do. 

While I am waiting for her to finish using the commode, I sit on the steps with her cat, Lexie, beside me.  I wait for the slow unsteady rise to a standing position.  I wait for her to adjust her clothes. I wait for her to take all of the tiny steps to move the 10 inches from the commode to her bed.    This time she is able to get back into the bed with just a little help. 

It’s 6:08 AM.

Subscribe to the comments for this post