Hello. My 93 year old aunt is currently at her second rehab facility after three separate stints in the hospital. Chemically she is in great shape. She is there to regain mobility after laying in bed for a week at a time in the hospital. Before Labor Day she lived on her own and was completely fine. She walked with a walker in her home but she had no issues. Now she cannot pick herself up to walk with a walker. She has been wearing a brief and going to the bathroom that way. This is NOT like her at all. She says she wants to go home. Will we be able to take her home if she does not improve? Thank you for your time.
Now she does have an aid that comes every morning to help her out with her meds and to get her day started. She doesn't cook or clean or do any chores except care for her dog. She has home health through medicare that provides an aid to bath her twice a week and a nurse who checks on her weekly and she takes occupational therapy at home presently. She tries to get physical therapy once a quarter to keep her strong and help with balance issues.
What was your aunt in the hospital for? That might make more of a difference than anything you mentioned other than being weak. She clearly needs to regain her strength and that takes longer as we get older. She's been through a lot to be in the hospital three times. How is she doing with therapy? Therapy helps So very much. I would encourage her to work hard on her therapy and it is hard work. She will regain her strength much quicker if she stays in rehab as long as she is allowed. But, again, if she had a stroke or had to have surgery it might take longer.
When she says she wants to go home, encourage her to fully cooperate with the therapy and become as strong as she can, so she will have the most options when she is discharged.