Any thoughts about how to stop an elderly mother falling when getting out of bed in a good care home? Early stages dementia

[loveyouradvice]

Mum had a fall four weeks ago and had a couple of small pelvic fractures that they kept her in for, giving her two weeks of excellent rehab during which she made lots of progress.

She's been back at her care home, where she is very happy, for two weeks and sadly fell again just two days ago. She forgets that she's not meant to get out of bed without someone assisting her and using the rollavator until she's fully recovered. So she clearly just decided she needed the loo and wasn't stable when she got out of bed

The home have set up sensory pads around her bed.

Is there anything else they or I can do? Any bright ideas?

A big challenge and they are being wonderful with her.

Has she got a high / low bed with a crash mat on the floor?

A falls mat? It's basically like a big crash mat although they also present a tripping hazard getting back into bed.

Someone popping in on a regular basis to check she doesn't want to go to the loo so she doesn't try and get up unaided.

A big sign where she will see it saying DON'T GET UP WITHOUT USING YOUR BUZZER PLEASE MUM

There are sensors that shine a "beam" over the bed, so if mum raises her head / hand, the carers are alerted. With sensor mats, by the time they're triggered & carers get there it's too late.
I'd also risk assess for hi lo bed & falls mat

Oh, don't they have bed rails? These can lead to legal scenarios, and Deprivation of Liberty stuff that needs signing - Lord knows why, it's mad looking back on the whole care home stuff years on - but might be necessary. That said, some could climb over them. The sensor beam sounds brilliant - never knew of any care home that did that - and touch lamp or motion detector lamp might also help with big sign saying 'Don't Get Out Of Bed Mum'.

I work with adult LD and we use motion sensors that go on the bed, primarily for epileptics but also for an individual that wanders and has poor mobility/falls. They are very good and very sensitive, just laughing or moving position will set them off, they then set off a pager type alarm that staff must carry for the whole shift. Wether that would work for your mum would depend on how far away her room is from the main home areas-i know some are huge and spread across several floors.

As others have said, bed set to lowest possible setting, crash mats and bed rails are all other options but may require a DOLS assessment to implement.

Can you recommend a brand name for these, not just for care homes but for use elsewhere?

www.completecareshop.co.uk/beds-and-bedding/

this is where I buy everything I need

Many thanks for that Mrs Twitcher!

I thought bed rails were out of favour as they turn an orthopaedic fall into a neuro-surgical fall as the confused person tries to climb over them and so falls from a greater height.

A low bed, crash mats and the motions sensors would be a good first call. A low bed has the advantage as it can be difficult for the elderly to push to standing from a low bed, so giving the staff a bit more time to get there before harms done. I also recall nursing confused patients with just a mattress on the floor, but we are talking a long time ago.......

This is REALLY helpful... the sensors sound brilliant, as does a lower bed.... Going to look into both of these THANK YOU

I agree with getting a floor bed. You can usually get a crash mat the same dimensions which in effect turns it into almost a double bed. If she is on a sensor, by the time she had rolled anywhere near edge of crash mat, the alarm would have sounded for a while.

Dingle any idea where to get a good sensor like that shining a beam over the bed?

And Making Miracles your bed sensors sound great - again any ideas?

I'm going into the home today so will ask them if they know about them and whether they would work with their systems