My dh was sleeping so close to the edge of the bed (I keep a heavy chair there) and when I woke him up and took away the chair, he just rolled on out onto the floor. I tried everything to get him up but he just could not understand about using the bed and chair to pull himself up. Could not get him on his knees either, he just kept butt scooting around. Finally got a neighbor in to help pick him up. How in the world do you get your dh or dw up after something like this? How do you protect the sides of the bed? I did move the dresser almost up to the bed along with the heavy chair. Thanks. (I am still a wreck even after several hours. He seem ok, thank God)
pushing the bed up to the wall or like you are doing with heavy furniture may help. getting rails on the bed was another good idea here.
i am glad hes ok but understand the trauma of having it happen. you can call the fire dept here its 311 non emergency and they come out to lift them. also if you are small a gait belt wont help much. divvi
brindle, divvi is right. I use a bed rail for my wife after she fell out a couple of times. The rail is 1/2 length of the bed. It is one my daughter used for her son when he was sleeping on the top bunk of a double bunk bed. So far it has kept her in and yet she is able to get up around it in the morning with my help. She does not get out of bed on her own.
You can also get help from your local fire department or EMT's. I was told to call 911. I'll have to check on that.
Brindle, both divvi and marsh are right. Whichever solution fits your bedroom. If the rail that slides between the mattress and box springs isn't sturdy enough and he is trying to get out of bed (and you are both sleeping in the same bed), could you push your bed against the wall and he could roll over to your side to get up in the morning?
If none of these solutions work, it may be time for a hospital bed....
I would go to my local fire station and explain what is happening and so that should you have to call them, they will come out and help you without trying to take him to the hospital.
Foster fell many, many times in his last few months...and he could NOT understand pull up on the side of the toilet/tub, or pull up on my arms He was dead weight PLUS more. It was especially hard when he fell inside the little toilet room and I couldn't begin to get 'inside' to help him up. We were finallly able to get a hoyer lit, but that's like having a full grown elephant in the room,..and it would NOT have help in tight places.
They don't UNDERSTAND how to follow orders, anymore than a 2 year old would. Pull/push, nothing. I'd sit him up (from the back side) and when I'd try to go around to the front to grasp his upper arms, he'd just roll back down onto his back. Like a 6 week old baby would. BUT, once up, ..he would walk away. Go figure!
I had bruises and strains all over my body. Neighbors were on call until 10:30 pm...911 after that They'd come out, lift him up ..put him in bed and were so nice. Never a charge,.. never a second thought. I always told them that I needed help picking my husband up off the floor, so they never came in with the stretcher or bags. Just muscles! I would laugh at it taking them 2-3 people to lift hm when I had done the same thing the day before all by myself. Just proved that I wasn't a wimp.
Foster never fell out of the bed. He'd fall while walking (even with the walker) ... and more often than not in the bathroom, because the walker didn't go inside and he wouldn't use the safety rails.
Great ideas, thanks. I did send an e-mail to the gov't website to ask which number to use here in CA. I did notice a large bruise on my arm this morning. Guess I did not realize what I was bumping into. When we walk outside I notice dh feels very comfortable and confident when he walks behind the wheelchair and I guide it from the side. When we go to the mall or other stores, I just take his hand and it is like walking a blind person (pulling, pulling). The wheelchair is great as it gives him confidence, I don't get so exhausted, and the seat is available if he gets tired (he was falling for a yr and a half so that's when we started using the wheelchair). Plus if he gets tired or weak, he can still push with his legs.
I think pushing furniture around is a risk..my dad rolled on the floor while visiting us one time and mom spent 45 min trying to get him up before asking me for help..that is when I learned there was a problem..Later, after he lost his legs, ( and mom was gone) he would roll all around his king size bed..the answer was a hospital bed. It was a godsend as he could adjust himself for tv. or just to change position a bit not to mention it made taking care of him, getting him up easier. We have to be careful of our own body mechanics. I have injuries from moving my dad and trying to do it the right way. ( One thought for those whose DH is in a wheel chair..when going up a hill don't push them up bring them up facing down hill and when going over a door jam don't pull backwards , turn around and go foward in case you have to so a wee wheelie to get the front wheels across. That is how I got hurt..doing it the wrong way because I didn't know how). Please be careful of yourself with assisting a LO getting up, transferring etc...once you get an injury it stays with you for a long time if not permanently.
Mimi, I was thinking about the hospital beds but when we actually were at the hospital, the beds were too short for my dh and that is why I thought it not a good idea for us. When my dh fell a couple of weeks ago, I pulled my shoulder and now have no strength in that arm. Hopefully it will heal soon so doing things right is really important. Thanks for the info regarding wheelchairs.
Brindle, there are extenders for Hospital Beds and if it is a problem, you can request them. Trust me, many athletes have to have them. Unfortunately for US, we have to ASK for them, few if any volunteer to get a longer bed or extensions. There will come a time when he will NEED a hospital bed...(I think I should say WE need them eventually)..and as hard as it is to accept and make that move, .... we're all so glad after it's done. They will rest better and more safelly, and trust me! so will you!
hospice brought us bed extension for hospital bed here at home. DH didnt fit in the first tiny bed either. and they brought rail pads that i taped over the sides of the rails and bottom of bed so his heels would be protected. works well. hospitals have the bed extensions as well if your spouse is over 6ft.