Resources for sick senior mom in Portland
August 30, 2015 4:48 PM Subscribe
My mom got sick to the point she was hospitalized for two days, pretty much vomiting up her stomach lining. Now she's home, she's lost her discharge instructions, and has a significant loss of balance so she tottering up and down flights up stairs with extreme risk, almost collapsing in the store when she goes to get groceries. She needs a visiting nurse service, something.
She lives alone and there's no family available to help--I'm in a wheelchair and can't do the whole stair thing. She needs monitoring. She needs to stay off the fucking stairs as much as possible. We don't know what the hell is wrong with her--hospital staff kept asking her if she had traveled outside the country but couldn't find any known viral agent in her bloodwork. That's all I know.
THANK YOU for any and all suggestions.
She lives alone and there's no family available to help--I'm in a wheelchair and can't do the whole stair thing. She needs monitoring. She needs to stay off the fucking stairs as much as possible. We don't know what the hell is wrong with her--hospital staff kept asking her if she had traveled outside the country but couldn't find any known viral agent in her bloodwork. That's all I know.
THANK YOU for any and all suggestions.
Best answer: Have your mom call the hospital unit where she stayed to request copies of her discharge papers. She can ask the hospital to send a nurse to check on her because she is a fall risk. They don't like the words "fall risk." The nurse can bring the discharge papers. She should also schedule a follow up appointment with her PCP ASAP. The hospital likely scheduled a followup appointment for her, which would be in her discharge papers, so she should call to ask if there is an appointment already scheduled. Also, make sure she is taking medications correctly, drinking enough fluids and eating.
If your mom has a bedroom downstairs, she should stay there until she feels better. With no one around, and your mom being a fall risk, she could really injure herself climbing up and down the stairs. Good luck. I know this isn't easy. And I know moms don't always like to listen to advice from their children.
posted by wherever, whatever at 5:46 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
If your mom has a bedroom downstairs, she should stay there until she feels better. With no one around, and your mom being a fall risk, she could really injure herself climbing up and down the stairs. Good luck. I know this isn't easy. And I know moms don't always like to listen to advice from their children.
posted by wherever, whatever at 5:46 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks so much for the answers thus far. The stairs are necessary, unfortunately (bedroom and bathroom on different floors) but perhaps that will elevate my mother's "fall risk" potential in the eyes of the hospital.
posted by angrycat at 6:54 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by angrycat at 6:54 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If she can get someone in to look after her and clean up, a bedside commode could reduce the need to take the stairs.
posted by Scram at 6:58 PM on August 30, 2015
posted by Scram at 6:58 PM on August 30, 2015
Best answer: Many of the natural food stores in Portland have been advertising same-day delivery recently. Probably the non-natural foods grocery stores also offer delivery, I just don't know anything about that.
If you have Amazon Prime, you can get free 2-hour delivery of food from New Seasons, apparently. Instacart does Green Zebra, I think they charge money, and I know Whole Foods has delivery, but I'm not sure who delivers.
posted by aniola at 7:05 PM on August 30, 2015
If you have Amazon Prime, you can get free 2-hour delivery of food from New Seasons, apparently. Instacart does Green Zebra, I think they charge money, and I know Whole Foods has delivery, but I'm not sure who delivers.
posted by aniola at 7:05 PM on August 30, 2015
Best answer: Safeway will also deliver in the Portland area.
posted by hydra77 at 7:08 PM on August 30, 2015
posted by hydra77 at 7:08 PM on August 30, 2015
Best answer: Can someone help her set up a cot or comfy bedding on a couch on the same floor as the bathroom? When my dad first became ill, we just put a bed into the main floor family room so he wouldn't have to climb stairs anymore.
posted by bedhead at 7:54 PM on August 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by bedhead at 7:54 PM on August 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: BrightStar Care is another local home health care provider; care.com also offers services for seniors (not so much nursing as help with errands, bathing, medication reminders, etc.), and for that type of lighter care might be less expensive.
If your mom is still ill, make sure someone is checking in with her regularly about her fluid intake - if she becomes unable to keep water down/in, she could deteriorate very, very rapidly.
posted by unsub at 8:11 PM on August 30, 2015
If your mom is still ill, make sure someone is checking in with her regularly about her fluid intake - if she becomes unable to keep water down/in, she could deteriorate very, very rapidly.
posted by unsub at 8:11 PM on August 30, 2015
Best answer: Yes to calling primary care for urgent appointment and explaining safety concerns. It sounds like she may need to be assessed for inpatient short term rehab potentially rather than just a visiting nurse (they can help with meds or dressing/bathing etc but not ameliorate fall risk).
As a side note, IANYMD but it sounds like it could have been "just" a viral gastroenteritis, aka a "stomach bug" or food poisoning. Asking about travel history is part of the standard history needed for that concern. typically it is not necessary to determine the exact agent responsible, and if studies for viral agents are done, they are often stool studies. Anyway, gastroenteritis can be very dehydrating and tough on an older, frailer person, and just being in the hospital for a few days in bed can give people like that a deconditioning hit. But primary care office should have a copy of the DC instructions they can review with you.
While this is on your mind is a great time to consider a safety assessment on her home (eliminate throw rugs, add grab bars, etc), discuss advanced directives for medical care with her (ie healthcare proxy, as well as power of attorney), consider getting her a Life Alert thing to wear to allow her to communicate if she falls.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:28 PM on August 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
As a side note, IANYMD but it sounds like it could have been "just" a viral gastroenteritis, aka a "stomach bug" or food poisoning. Asking about travel history is part of the standard history needed for that concern. typically it is not necessary to determine the exact agent responsible, and if studies for viral agents are done, they are often stool studies. Anyway, gastroenteritis can be very dehydrating and tough on an older, frailer person, and just being in the hospital for a few days in bed can give people like that a deconditioning hit. But primary care office should have a copy of the DC instructions they can review with you.
While this is on your mind is a great time to consider a safety assessment on her home (eliminate throw rugs, add grab bars, etc), discuss advanced directives for medical care with her (ie healthcare proxy, as well as power of attorney), consider getting her a Life Alert thing to wear to allow her to communicate if she falls.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:28 PM on August 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hydra77 at 5:43 PM on August 30, 2015