I have bought a "gait belt" but not sure how to use it proberly. I did not get instructions with the purchase but thought maybe there was an internet place that explains and hopefully illustrates the best procedures from a kneeling position. a crawling position and especially a prone position.
Went to some of those links and apparently the belt is not really for lifting or help lifting patient off the floor. It is a "GAIT" belt. My LO has been having troble getting up after she squats to get somethi9ng and then can not get up. I try to help her but it is very tough on my back and my strength is not really enough. she w eighs about 160 and I am not strong enough. Oh Well,. Another good reason for considering placement. bill
I thought there was, and there is, info on ehow as to how to use it. I don't know if they will help but look, for instance, at http://www.ehow.com/how_5087058_use-posey-gait-belt.html
No idea what a posey gait belt is, but take the info anyway.
During the last few months of his life, Claude fell several times. One time when he lost his balance, he grabbed at the TV and pulled it down on top of him. I called 911 and they came immediately and took him to the ER. Thankfully, he wasn't badly hurt.
I talked to the EMT/Paramedics and they told anytime he fell to call 911. If I could tell he wasn't hurt to tell the operator it wasn't an emergency, but I needed help getting him up. I had to call them several times and was embarassed each time, but they told me it wasn't a problem. That was what they were there for was to help the citizens. A couple of times we had to wait awhile until they could come.
Bill, I have trouble getting up when I squat down :-( Last summer, I was working in my front flowerbed and couldn't get up. I had to crawl across the front lawn to the porch so I could hoist myself up. Thankfully, no one saw me - I was embarassed enough as it was. It would have been worse if the neighbors had seen me!!!!
When my DH would fall or just sit on the floor I would use his walker for him to pull himself up and then hold onto him till he was back in bed.( I would hold onto the walker so it wouldn't tip over). Maybe that would help.
Night before last, DW woke up to go to the bathroom. I always get up to help her so she won't fall, but, this time she fell (or kind of sat down) on the hall floor. I tried to lift her, but, I couldn't so I had her crawl on her hands and knees into the broom and then I could help her lift herself up on the toilet stool.
I am still amazed at the discussions you good people start.
Saturday morning, Mary fell out of bed at about 1:45 a.m. She didn't hurt herself but she has no idea how to get back up and I can't lift her myself. I called 911 and explained that she wasn't injured but just couldn't get up. They sent out a truck load of volunteer firefighters who picked her up and put her back in bed. They were very gracious and told me not to hesitate to call again if I need help. Of course, at my age everyone is a kid, but you have to admire these young folks who are available to help at 2 o'clock in the morning.
We had a similar experience in Sept or so when she tripped over the sidewalk coming into the house. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the fire department, but it was warm weather. Can you immagine if that happened this weekend with temperatures under 20 degrees?
I have thought about buying or borrowing a used Hoyer Lift. I don't know if that would enable me to pick her up by myself or not. I do know that they are very big and would be hard to move around the house.
G fell while attempting to carry a small step ladder to help take down the Christmas tree...picture a 6'6" guy with major balance problems carrying a step ladder in a hallway. Naturally he fell and I couldn't begin to get him up..had him scoot over to the nearby stairs and move up them one at a time untll could get up. He must have bruised his ribs as he is so sore now he can hardly move, but i know he will do something similar again with the same results. Never say die..and never listen to anyone else!!!
I've not had the problem with falls yet. I know that I'd have to call 911 if I couldn't get DH into a position where he could help lift himself up. Yikes. I'm thankful that we also have a fire dept. that will respond. DH weighs 200 or so now. I'd have no luck trying to lift him.
Medicare pays for a Hoyer Lift!!!!!! - which is cumbersome but works like a charm. Before my husband died, he was falling 4-5 times a week and I also called 911 several times, when I couldn't get a neighbor to come. As time progressed, he was unable to help ME help HIM up...he was a rag doll... I didn't know what to do to prevent the falls, because I was doing all I could. I've been told, that in his particular case, the falls were a recognized percussor to his rapid demise and death. Again, he was falling all the time..and he might have been having little strokes. He wasn't falling out of bed, he'd fall while walking with his walker...or getting up from the toilet, which ordinarily he could do. He had reached a point where his feet didn't always point in the direction he wanted to go. He'd stand up in his walker..and one foot would face forward and the other one would point to the side. It was, I am told, 'the disease taking its toll".
For what it's worth, the Hoyer Lift was the easiest way for ME to get him up from the floor and onto the bed or chair.
Fortunately, DW doesn't fall often, but when she does it is dramatic. The last time was last summer when she tripped on the door sill entering the house. I couldn't get her up, so call my 12 y.o. grandson. The 2 of us could not get her up so we called my 14 y.o. grandson to help. With the 3 of us we finally got her up. I now hold on to her almost all the time when she is walking, especially outside, and have prevented several falls. I stopped her from falling out of bed by putting a bed-rail on her side of the bed - one my daughter had for her boys when they were younger.
My dh fell about a month ago in the livingroom. He stepped off the step-down incorrectly, and went down hard. He managed to scoot across to his lift chair. He used his arms to jack himself up into it, while I held under his left armpit to hoist him also.
Now, just a few days ago, we were in someone's house. He saw their step-down when we entered the foyer. No problem. Then, a few minutes later, he approached the step-down from the other direction, tripped on it, and fell flat on their tile on his hip. He's sore, but nothing broken. Two men there helped him get to his feet, with me pulling on his left hand for leverage.
So, he can still help me help him get up. That will change down the road. Then I'll have to call the fire dept.
I roll Fred onto his stomach, to have him get up on his knees, then he can climb onto some chair, or the walker to rise. His strength not mine! save your back
Welcome to the site. It's a wonderful place for information, support and even laughs. Tell us more about yourself. My husband is 60 diagnosed at 58 with FTD. I am 51 and we have two adult children.
Toward the end, my husband couldn't understand "get up on your knees". If he was flat on his back, I'd get behind him and lift him up to a sitting position, but he wouldn't stay in that position, he'll just roll back down on his back. I'd prop pillows behind him and he might has well have been a newborn...he just couldn't sit up. BUT, he could walk, climb stairs, get up and down from chairs. Just couldn't get up from the floor. Eventually, I was able to get a Hoyer Lift, (look them up in your search engine). Between times, I called on neighbors and 911, who would come in a minute..and never charged for helping him up into a chair or onto the bed. Good luck. It is part of the disease. Don't hurt yourself. I was black and blue before I got the message for myself.
Absolutely call 911, save your back, you'll need it and that's why 911 is there. If there's no blood or injury, calm yourself and loved one, take your time, give him time to 'collect' himself--several minutes, no one is going anywhere, speak calmly & don't blame. If he can't crawl to a strong piece of furniture, get a sturdy chair--maybe a kitchen chair--get him on hands & knees, get both his hands on the chair, slowly help him rise on the strongest knee while the other, if necessary, remains on the floor for balance. Ask anyone else in the house to help. How well it works depends on your relative sizes and the progress of the disease, I was told this years ago and to save my back.
If there is blood or injury, don't move him, cover with a blanket and call 911.
i was told by hospice to call 311 which works like 911 but isnt emergency.. they send out firemen to help get them up - also a gait belt will help lift them easier to a sitting position. divvi
I don't think everyone has 311. I know that Chicago at 311 which is for nonemergency type things, but the suburb I live in doesn't have anything like that. We are told to call the police or fire departments non-emergency numbers.
I am 220 lbs and still in pretty good shape. Sharon is 91lbs. She doesn't wind up on the floor often but frankly I can scoop her up in one arm. I know that isn't any help to any of you but it dawned on me that there is at least one damned thing that isn't a huge problem for me so far.
In HOUSTON 311 Is an information line for H1N1 flu shots. Our hospice Group said to call 911 and just tell them you need help getting your husband off the floor, and he is NOT hurt. I did that and it was quick, easy and the 911 guys would laugh and say, Hey! don't worry about calling us to pick him up, we were sitting around doing nothing.. and that's what we're here for!
A couple of times when dh ended up on the floor, not hurt, he would have no idea how to get on his hands and knees or how to pull up on something. I would make sure he was comfortable and maybe get down on the floor with him. After a few minutes, I'd say "guess we should get up from here" and he would get up with no trouble. It seemed like he just forgot how to do it and then he'd remember.
It was probably as hard for me to get back up off the floor as it was for him.
The hospice nurse once told me that if he rolled off the bed, we had a low boy bed maybe 10" to the floor with a mat next to it, and he wasn't hurt, to give him a blanket and a pillow and let him sleep right where he was. He did that a few times and the next morning he'd be able to get up by himself.
There were times I had to use the hoyer lift to get him up and the neighbor a couple of times and 911 once. What ever worked at that time.
Another way to get some help is to call and place an order for a pizza......then when the delivery guy shows up, pay for the pizza and tell him he gets a tip if he can get your spice up off the floor.... or call a vacuum cleaner salesman, and tell him that if he helps, you will buy his great vacuum....(but that is usually too expensive...pizza guy is better
i can now offer first hand info:) at midnite while changing DH he sat on the side of the bed = as i went to get a shirt he stood up and then sat back down on the bed, and missed the bed and slid to the floor!! midnite, ok i tried for 2hrs with my bum arm to get him up using anything and eveything written here. no dice, legs are like lead and unbendable. so we lay him down and made a pallet and pillows. poor guy. since the hospice nurse came today she called 311=they passed it to non emergency 911 said she had a hospice patient down and they sent 6 hunky firemen to get him off the floor and back in bed within 15min. its free and they said to call ANY time next time day /nite. so now i know who to call!! was wonderful and very quick. you'd be surprised what even small amount of dead weight is soo very heavy. it took 6 guys 2 tries to get him up and turned around.