By Kevin
Dad had a couple of falls on Friday, but he is okay.
When the hospice nurse arrived around 8am, she knocked on Dad’s door and he asked her to come in. The door was locked, which she thought was unusual, and it seemed that Dad couldn’t unlock it, so she called to have the door unlocked. She found Dad on the floor in the middle of the room, with a cut on his right elbow, and carpet burns on both knees.
He said he spent half the night trying to stand up. It’s not clear if he fell out of bed, or if he fell while walking to or from the bathroom. He is supposed to be checked every 2 hours, so 2 hrs may have seemed like half the night to him. There is an alarm box near the bed, with a pull cord, but it wasn’t clear if he had tried to use it. The hospice nurse tried using the alarm box to get help, but nobody came, so she had to call the staff for help.
Dad was able to stand, but he couldn’t walk due to the carpet burns on his knees. She said he would get a wheelchair from Royale (which they charge for), and that she could provide one as part of his hospice care. I asked her if the low railings on his bed could be put up, in case he’s falling out of bed, and she asked the staff if they could do that.
When she left, Dad was eating breakfast, but was shaken up, which was to be expected.
The hospice nurse called both Pat and me and left messages describing the incident. The hospice nurse recommended that Dad get a pendant to signal for help. I called Dad and asked how he was. He said he was okay, but he sounded more horse than usual, and seemed out of breath. I told him that he would be getting a pendant to get help, and that the assisted living facility would look into whether or not he was getting 2 hour checks.
I called Royale and spoke with Kesha, one of the directors. She had just arrived, and was reading through the incident report. I asked that Dad get a pendant, and she said he would, and that they would investigate what had happened with his 2hr checks, and she would have maintenance check the alarm box.
At about 4pm, Royale called Pat to let him know that Dad fell again, but he was okay. Dad said his leg gave out coming from the bathroom. Royale said they would take him to dinner in a wheelchair.
I had driven to work, so I drove to see Dad, after waiting for the traffic to get better. It still took me 40 minutes to drive from Alameda to Royale, which usually takes 20 minutes. I had forgotten that visiting hours end at 8pm or I would have left sooner, even with the bad traffic.
I arrived just after 7, knocked on Dad’s door, then found it unlocked so opened it and said I was there. Dad was in the bathroom, and said he was glad I came by. I asked him if he needed any help and he didn’t answer. I said it sounded like he had a rough day. He asked if I knew that he fell a second time, and I said I did. There was a wheelchair near the room door.
He came out of the bathroom using his walker, and he was wearing the pendant. He was unsteady, and seemed more stooped over than usual. He said he wanted to get undressed and go to bed (he was wearing slacks and a shirt), but wasn’t sure how to do it. I suggested he use the walker to go to the bed, sit on the bed, then I could help him. I noticed the bandages on his right elbow. He sat on the bed, but then said he needed to go to the bathroom. I helped him to get up to use his walker to get to the bathroom.
After being in the bathroom a few minutes, the caregiver came to get him ready for bed. She told me that the people who eat with Dad told her that Dad isn’t eating much. He had told me that he doesn’t have much appetite. He has said the food is good, but isn’t as flavorful as he likes it, probably because they are giving him low-salt meals. She had Dad try using the pendant to test it, and it was working, though he had to press hard. She pointed out the red light that goes on, and then showed him how his room number appears (on her pager?).
The caregiver helped him get undressed while he was in the bathroom and put a robe on, and helped him as he used his walker to go to the bed and sit down. She had taken Dad’s hearing aids out, so I had to communicate with a phone app that turns my speech to text. He asked when he would see me again, and I told him that Pat would see him this weekend. We said goodbye and I left, then called Pat with an update.
I arrived just after 7, knocked on Dad’s door, then found it unlocked so opened it and said I was there. Dad was in the bathroom, and said he was glad I came by. I asked him if he needed any help and he didn’t answer. I said it sounded like he had a rough day. He asked if I knew that he fell a second time, and I said I did. There was a wheelchair near the room door.
He came out of the bathroom using his walker, and he was wearing the pendant. He was unsteady, and seemed more stooped over than usual. He said he wanted to get undressed and go to bed (he was wearing slacks and a shirt), but wasn’t sure how to do it. I suggested he use the walker to go to the bed, sit on the bed, then I could help him. I noticed the bandages on his right elbow. He sat on the bed, but then said he needed to go to the bathroom. I helped him to get up to use his walker to get to the bathroom.
After being in the bathroom a few minutes, the caregiver came to get him ready for bed. She told me that the people who eat with Dad told her that Dad isn’t eating much. He had told me that he doesn’t have much appetite. He has said the food is good, but isn’t as flavorful as he likes it, probably because they are giving him low-salt meals. She had Dad try using the pendant to test it, and it was working, though he had to press hard. She pointed out the red light that goes on, and then showed him how his room number appears (on her pager?).
The caregiver helped him get undressed while he was in the bathroom and put a robe on, and helped him as he used his walker to go to the bed and sit down. She had taken Dad’s hearing aids out, so I had to communicate with a phone app that turns my speech to text. He asked when he would see me again, and I told him that Pat would see him this weekend. We said goodbye and I left, then called Pat with an update.
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