Mum in hospital after fall and dislocated shoulder worried about her progress

I have three friends (69s, 70s, 80s) who all had falls and dislocated their shoulders, and it takes a long time to recover. Your mother is doing really well for her age, and the hospital teams are working together efficiently. I think you are expecting too much too soon, and you really cannot expect hospital staff to contact you to let you know she has moved wards; I was moved three times in 24 hours.
When she is released from hospital will there be someone with her full time, because it is difficult to manage in the early weeks with dressing, washing and eating, let alone cooking and house work?

My query too eazybee where will she go on discharge, the hospital will need to be satisfied I expect that she has full support.
drbledu I hope tomorrow you feel reassured.

I hope your mother continues to progress and is soon able to return home to continue her recovery. Having spent a couple of weeks in hospital I hope the food is better than I had, the visitors I appreciated most were those who bought in food that were nutritious and tasty but I still struggled to eat because the antibiotics gave me a metallic taste to most foods. I also appreciated short visits as painkillers made me very tired.
When Mil was alive and living with us we had a good conversation about what she wanted should she become ill. She was also in her 90s and it was so helpful to us. Although I'm not yet 80, I've also had that conversation with my closest family.
Fwiw bed moving is often related to progress or what is seen as priority health concern, annoying for relatives and potentially disorientating for older patients but not altogether unreasonable. There was so much pressure on beds that I spent my last night in a corridor which the nurses described jokingly as the departure lounge!

One of the first nurses I spoke to advised that on no account should my mum be discharged until there is home care in place and additionally that the vertigo that she has been experiencing - which I suspect was a contributory factor in her fall - is addressed. We have been unable to get any help from the local NHS in deadling with this to date. GP service is abysmal and the local hospital physio clinic hasn't so far given her an appointment for assessment.

Aside from all that, if we can get mum home she will need to have carers coming in daily whilst she recuperates. Mum won't like that one bit as she has always been fiercely independent and a very private person like many of her age group. Between me, my brother and my nephew we will have to make arrangements to be over at mum's as often as possible. They live locally to my mum but I don't - I am 100 miles away and working and constantly on the move. Logistically a potential headache but we have to do it. Longer term arrangements I will have to discuss with mu mum when she is up to it and once she is fully aware of her now limitations. Up until she went into hospital she was managing her home herself and despite the osteoarthritis was walking out to the local shops every other day - with her walking stick - to do her business. As she always says 'It keeps me going'. Not sure if she will be up to that again.

Hi. Yes your mum will need to be assessed whist in hospital by OT and then assigned a social worker. This is often the tricky part sometimes there’s a waiting list.
The last time my mum was in hospital, last year, there was a six week wait to see the SW it was then another week before the OT could assess her flat and then another two weeks before the carers were assigned to her. I hope this is not the case for your mum. But just be prepared for some frustrating delays.
They may suggest enablement carers for the first few weeks these are free. She’ll then need a financial assessment for her care going forward.

I think we are a long way off that point yet. Am going in to see mum tomorrow - have been away working for 3 days. My brother has been in to check on her the last couple of days - on Sunday she was more alert and talking about this and that and telling him off for rushing off! Today she didn't sound too good - says no-one is telling her anything and that the nurses are saying if she doesn't get better it will be her own fault. Sounds like they were engaging in a bit of banter but it seems to have bothered mum ... brother also said she was breathing a little heavy which I suspect might be the pneumonia infection. Need to talk to the doctor and nurses and get an update ... have been waking up each morning with sinking feeling and waiting for a phone call from the hospital with bad news .... it is really getting to me.

Aah yes I know that morning sinking feeling which comes in waves during the day too. It’s awful having a loved one in hospital. I have a much loved uncle in there at the moment, we haven’t been able to visit now for five weeks because of Norovirus on the ward, he can’t communicate by phone now either.
It’s going to take a long time for your mum to get over a bout of pneumonia especially at her age, she’ll have many up and downs unfortunately. I expect she’s not feeling herself and probably lost her sense of humour at the moment, who wouldn’t.
Hope you at least get to see her and a positive update. Take care

Saw mum yesterday - she had been moved again! This time to a single room away from the open bay - much better and quieter. She now has a window view and tranquility and some nice staff tending to her.

I was relieved to see her looking much better - awake and sitting up - and having regained some appetite - and talking about this and that. The new antibiotics (Tacozin which one of you specifically mentioned) seem to be doing some good. Staff nurse called it the ‘internal domestos’! Have asked the nurse to get the doctor to talk to mum during the morning round as mum is cross that on one is telling her anything. She does like to know the ins and outs of everything!

Popping in again later today to see what is what

Glad to hear that the Tazocin is helping and your Mum is a good bit brighter, drbledu23. Hope this is the beginning of her steady recovery.

Good to know your mums situation is looking brighter in every sense of the word - looking better and brighter with a single room and a view from the window - sounds promising. Thinking of you both 💐💐

Remind them to call you if they are planning on moving her again. I write a note with my phone number on my husband's arm so they don't forget.

That all sounds more positive. Lovely for you all that she has her own room too. Hope she continues to improve.

So glad to hear your mum’s improving. From your description she sounds like a wonderful lady - I love that she likes to ‘know the ins and outs of things’. Good for her! It must have been a very worrying time for you and your family.

Fingers crossed things continue to improve🤞 The GN community is certainly sending her healing karma

Macadia

Remind them to call you if they are planning on moving her again. I write a note with my phone number on my husband's arm so they don't forget.

I wouldn't want them to call me for a room move. I'd probably think they were calling with bad news. Also l rather their time was taken up looking after the patients.

My mum seems to have improved since she was moved to that new room. She is eating more and drinking more - although not without assistance - still not able to coordinate her 'useable' arm with cup. She has been trying. Still on the antibiotics and intermittently with fluids but have noticed the last couple of days that she is now starting to cough and clear her chest which I trust is positive.

Mum generally seems to be getting back to herself - not sleeping as much and more awake and focused and conversing about everyday things. The nurse told me that the physios have been in (she is on the radar) but my mum has declined the help so far - but they won't be giving up as they have to get her back on her feet and recover mobility. The nurse and I have stressed on her the importance and she is aware that there is no way she will be allowed home until such time as she has recovered a measure of her former mobility. Expect she will be kept in a while yet as they monitor her infection progress and general recovery which may be slow.

Dealing with things a day at a time for now.

I do thank all of you for your encouragement and kind words.

Small, but positive steps drbledu 👍

Aah bless her. She sounds as if she’s on the mend. By the sounds of it she is strong willed, so I bet it’ll not be long before she’s wanting to be out of bed.
My mum was exactly the same, always got up and walked whenever she could, even if it took two nurses and a walking frame.

Well to update …. mum has been off the oxygen for 3 days and now off fluids …. just taking painkillers for the continual discomfort of the after effects of the fall … I am wondering if she has done more damage than first thought or whether she is flaring with osteoarthritis on top of everything else. Spoke to the OT today who advises that mum is not really engaging so far with the physio and they are struggling to get her even sitting on the edge if the bed let alone on to her feet. As they are considering discharge now this is quite worrying. I have asked them to look at transferring mum to reablement care for a thorough assessment and more specialist physio in the first instance - rather than discharge to home where she will be laid up on a hospital bed and totally unable to function …. That would really finish mum off … as she said to me today I hope I am not going to be like this to the end of my days … and then asked if anyone had found her walking stick yet … it disappeared shortly after she was admitted.

Just read this - thinking of your Mum ….hope she will be able to get back to some form of normality x

Hi. Your mum seems to be doing well apart from engaging with the physio, do you think it’s the pain that’s hindering her or is she just too weak and tired ?
When my mum fell and broke her hip she was exactly the same. After three weeks in hospital they sent her to a rehabilitation hub. She had a very slow recovery, it took three months to get her walking with a frame, she was 87 then. They then sent her home with help from enablement carers.
Hope they continue to help your mum regain her strength and confidence. It can be a long and frustrating road.

Katyj

Hi. Your mum seems to be doing well apart from engaging with the physio, do you think it’s the pain that’s hindering her or is she just too weak and tired ?
When my mum fell and broke her hip she was exactly the same. After three weeks in hospital they sent her to a rehabilitation hub. She had a very slow recovery, it took three months to get her walking with a frame, she was 87 then. They then sent her home with help from enablement carers.
Hope they continue to help your mum regain her strength and confidence. It can be a long and frustrating road.

Well I can only hope that my mum can be referred to the same type of facility to help. She will need help when she gets home but I want - for her sake - her to have some level of mobility so as not to be totally dependent on the home carers for every move. That would really finish her off and I know of old when my father was alive, that the local STAR home care package is indifferent to say the least.

Mum said that the physios she has seen in hospital are not very nice or understanding - that was certainly my impression of the physio that I talked to who seemed unwilling to engage with mum and only concerned at clearing patients out to home care. Told her straight that I wanted mum to be transferred to specialist re-enablement care and that the physio/discharge team should make every effort to find a placement for mum and at least give her a chance to regain a 'base level' mobility. Mum is trying but is tired from the infection and of course in pain from osteoarthritis which is flaring from the 3 weeks of bed rest.

I really hope you get the help your mum needs. It’s difficult always having to be the one fighting her corner, but so worth it.
My mum didn’t have the best physios either I suspect like the rest of the NHS it’s not fit for purpose anymore, but at least she has you, and a will to get better. Fingers crossed.

Well it has been another week in the hospital and I had a chat with ward sister on Christmas Eve. She advised that the OT team and doctors are going to transfer mum to reablement facility for 6 weeks to get her up and about and functioning again before any discharge to home. She is medically fit but not sufficiently physically to get home under her own steam. Hope the team at the new facility are better than the hospital OT who my mum advises are not very nice and doing sod all!

Just waiting on a transfer date.

Hi. That sounds like good news. At least they’re giving your mum a chance.i hope it’s a good day unit, is it attached to the hospital ?
My mum has been in five different rehabilitation units, the better ones were the so called hubs, independent of the hospitals.
The last time she went in to a unit attached to the hospital, they rarely got her out of bed let alone any physio.
She could still walk with a walker, she was transferred from there into a care home aged 92. She had a few more falls whilst in the care home and passed away 6 months later.
Hope your mum is transferred soon.

Is physiotherapy now called occupational therapy? I've always understood the two were quite different from each other. If it's help with mobility your mum needs, isn't that physical rather than occupational?