Thanks for your thoughts about Dad’s hospital care, I appreciate it.
The caregivers are reporting that he’s not initiating conversations, but he can answer questions. The biggest issue is that he thinks he still has two legs, and he is constantly trying to stand up. He can’t be left alone for a single second, because he’s fast. I’m not sure how this will work, because the women have to go to the bathroom, get him food, do his laundry, etc. The advocate is going to try to find an alarm, and I suggested rails for his bed.
EVERYONE says Dad still has his sweet temperament. He smiles and talks to people like he knows who they are, even when he clearly doesn’t. When I talked to him yesterday and asked how he was doing, as always, he said, “Oh, I’m doing great!” Just a remarkable person. I’m feeling kind of down, because getting old sucks and he is such a trooper.
If it is only to receive calls then my priority would be a loud ring (which she can’t accidentally lower or turn off) and loud sound so she can her clearly (again that she won’t accidentally lower). Since it will be in one place - make sure that place is comfortable for her to sit and chat.
Some phones have a light that goes in when the phone is ringing as well. If she has difficulty hearing, that may be good to consider too. It could be WITH the phone.
Some follow up on my father’s phone. The para from the lawyer’s office went to see my father this morning. Not sure what happened to the phone (it is missing right now), but she confirmed the phone has not been broken but rather my father can’t get into it because he doesn’t remember the password. (Same thing that happened with his computer several years ago - nobody could access it as he forgot all the passwords).
The lawyer is going to terminate his smart phone account and get him a simpler easy to use phone where you pay by the minute. We will evaluate if that works for him or not.
I had gotten my dad’s computer password from him a year or so ago, and then it didn’t work this past August. It turns out he’d shortened it to make it simpler. I told him he needs to tell us whenever he changes it! There’s so much on that computer.
My father’s computer access failure is still a mystery to me. I had on many occasions seen the physical paper that he had in his room with his list of passwords. Then COVID struck, he forgot the password, and that paper was gone (yes, truly gone, as he subsequently moved out of there and everything in the room was reviewed and it was not there.)
Again…this person won’t ever be dialing the phone themselves. And they probably won’t be answering themselves either. The caregivers or family members will do this. If a family member wants to call, they now even arrange this so MIL is awake, etc.
So…no need for a loud ringer. And yes, phone will be in a location where MIL can comfortably sit.
Really, this phone will rarely get used…except for when one family member calls every morning…but the caregivers are there to answer. And that will stay the same.
Do you want a speakerphone or does your mom prefer to hold a handset? Does she need volume lius or is normal volume fine? Here’s a retro phone she may like.
What about something like this? I believe when my (late) MIL with Alzheimer’s was in rehab, they gave her something like this. Pick up, talk, hang up. My in-laws couldn’t handle an iPhone when they were still mentally aware in their 60s, let alone later in life.
Bedrails may be regulated. Possibly the half rail (which can be used to help pull up in the bed, but also can have a little delay on getting out of bed). A bed alarm probably won’t work if he quickly swings out and tries to get up - then loses his balance w/o both full legs.
Maybe the nurses have some ideas. Extra pillows around (where you have a half sheet under him across the bed and tuck a pillow under the half sheet - which has a ‘hump’ for him to sort out) is a possibility.
I wonder how much his prothesis can get moved on - it does take a while once one has a fitting appointment and his prothesis is made - but your dad keeps going like the energizer bunny.
My dad couldn’t have bedrails until we asked for them – somehow there was a rule that the hospital and then the hospice couldn’t be the ones to put them on. And yes, they put an alarm on the bed and it really didn’t work other than the first time he set it off, he paused long enough to determine what the noise was, and then kept climbing out. After that, he just would ignore the noise and the poor nurses would have been running every 90 seconds. It was literally his only objective when he was awake , for about a week.
Dad is insistent that he has two legs and can stand up. Yesterday when my sister was there he started getting up from his chair. She had to push him down repeatedly. They’re thinking of getting a 2nd caregiver a few hours a day so chores can get done. I’m glad he has the resources to do that!
They’re thinking of getting a 2nd caregiver a few hours a day so chores can get done. I’m glad he has the resources to do that!