Mom's mobility has been declining since September 2022. She is now at the point where she has to use a walker to maneuver around the house. The home health Physical Therapist comes once a week to do exercises with her which, even though she complains and gripes about it, she still performs the exercises. However, when the therapist leaves, she refuses to do the exercises that the therapist recommends she do twice a day. Should I force her to do them and listen to her gripe and complain? I usually remind her of them and offer my help but most of the time she will say that she is in pain from arthritis and doesn't feel like doing them today.
One lady was bedbound within a year. The other went 4 years still being able to transfer, toilet, and minimal walking but is currently a hoyer lift to a geri chair every day and it's been that way for quite a while.
Both had all the proper encouragement and resources to complete the exercises as prescribed. Neither was given any exercise that they literally couldn't do. They simply did not comply with what was prescribed and all the encouragement and explaining in the world wasn't going to change them.
Here we go. My brother was SOOOO helped by his one month in rehab after his car accident incidentally got him a diagnosis of probable early Lewy's dementia. He got a diagnosis of probably early Lewy's dementia at that time, and his balance had been poor for some time. And after doing and practicing exercises he was so much more steady on his feet.
But would he do them when he was released.
We talked. He said that there was just so little he felt in control of after all he went through, and in the middle of selling his last home, moving to ALF, getting me POA and Trustee of Trust and management of his finances, that he just had to take control of some few things, one being when and if he exercised.
I do those same balance exercises now, and I don't do them faithfully enough nor often enough no matter I know they make a difference.
I think you may be fighting a losing battle. I wish it were not so, but often the more we advocate for something the more our loved ones move away from hearing what we say. Not good. Not right. But it IS word.
I sure wish you luck. Let us know if something works.
Best of luck with a difficult situation.