Mobility aids advice/assessment

[lozster]

My mum’s mobility has decreased a worrying amount in the last 10 months since my dad died. She’s 86. She has badly swollen legs, joint pain and is now having problems getting on and off the toilet. She lives alone.

I’d like to get someone to assess her and her home and recommend handrails etc etc. I’m not sure how I action that or even what I should ask for? I thought age concern offered an assessment but I don’t see anything on their website. Should I do this via a GP? Can someone give me a few pointers including what it is I should ask for?

The gp can refer your mum to the community occupational therapy services, an ot will complete a home assessment and provide the equipment needed. However,if not urgent, might take a few weeks depending on where you are.
Also keeping her legs elevated can help with the oedema.
Good luck and all the best for your mum

Thanks @estreya. I guess the GP may be able to do this over the phone too.

On her legs she can’t/won’t elevate says it makes it worse. She had a knee replacement about 10 years ago. It never been great and she didn’t Follow the instructions and do the physio at home after that either.

Hope you get somewhere with ot. Your gp practice should help. A rise/ recline chair might be useful but she would need to pay for that- amazon do disability aids plus lots of other places.
Frame to go around the loo would help.
Good luck- if you mention risk of falls it might help. Some areas have local falls teams which can offer help/ advice- not sure how they are operating at the moment.

Is she on appropriate medication - does she see the GP regularly? For example, is she on diuretics for the oedema? Do they know what's causing it and are they treating the underlying problem? Does she have moisturising creams for her legs to keep the skin in good condition and avoid ulcers?

Thanks for the replies @thesandwich and @MereDintofPandiculation . I do appreciate the input. I feel quite alone in this sometimes.

The toilet frame seems like a good idea. I would like some advice on the rest of the house too. I fear that badly fitted aids might be worse than no aids.

The oedema is of unknown cause. We’ve done a round of ultrasounds and scans and there was no conclusion. She tried diuretics but that created problems with needing the loo more often and gave no discernible reduction in the swelling. She also can’t get shoes to fit. I’ve spent hundreds ordering pairs that look ok and then don’t fit then having to send them back. No one seems to want to advise on this. She is using moisturisers and understands why that is important.

Getting to the loo is a problem too as she finds the stairs hard. My dad looked at getting an under stair saniflo fitted before he died however not only is the space not near the sewage, it is not near water or power either. The guy who said he could do it ‘disappeared’ and the next plumber said he couldn’t do it . My dad ended up with a commode in an open plan living-dining area which was every bit as grim as it sounds. It’s been a hard year all round.

Shoes - If you haven't already, try www.cosyfeet.com/
As well as super-wide fitting shoes, they also sell strap extensions to their shoes, so that the same shoes will fit on both normally swollen and super-swollen days.

Stair lift? Reconditioned ones are a considerable saving on new, and the average stairlift is used for, I think it was, less than two years. Modern ones can cope with bends much more easily.

Occupational therapist is indeed what you need. If our experience is anything to go buy, it opens a treasure trove of aids. Route is via GP, or via District Nurse service (if you are having District Nurses in to help with her legs). but if you have difficulty, there are private OTs.

The comminity ot can do s assessment snd there are grants available for small adaptations. There is s lot of info on gov.uk or local council websites.

@MereDintofPandiculation @HappyHammy I think I will go via the gp and ask for OT assessment. Mum can’t even get in a car now her legs and joints are so bad. I have managed to get a blue badge which was/is a help but going anywhere is just awful. Lockdown has been a relief in that respect for me. I run more errands but can do them more quickly on my own. Not ideal long term.

It was cosy feet I tried for shoes.
Hard to tell as a layperson which to choose. I went for a Velcro pair and they didn’t fit well at all. I had to send all three sizes back.

I did wonder about a chair lift. She can be a bit reticent about trying anything new and I can imagine her not using it or panicking 😬

You may have a community rehab team. We have them in my area. NHS and have OTs and physios. That would be the ideal. Assess the environment and, hopefully, progress her mobility

Ot’s are brilliant at getting oldies to try new things- and arrange physio to support.
Good luck!

OT supplied a toilet frame for my mum and that made a great difference. They also provided a perching stool for her to do stuff in the kitchen but she does nothing in the kitchen to use it for and a walking frame that she uses once a week or so.

Other than that they haven't been able to offer anything more.

Mum has carers now. Chatting to last night's carer about the difficulty of getting mum to my daughter's wedding she went online to show me what I needed to help her get in and out of the car - something we didn't even know existed!

@HappyHammy I googled OT and the county and that threw up a service provider.
I was triaged and warned there is a wait list but I’m now expecting a call hopefully soon.

@IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere what was that aid for the car?

OP what you need to do is contact GP for a referral to community care/therapy team of physio and OTs due to difficulty in getting off the toilet, of transfers and walking. They have a rehab function , are primary health teams so they will get to mum quicker.

OTs for social services tend to do bigger adaptations, and have a wait list so that's a slower route to go in this situation.