Solutions for Successful Aging
Hoping everyone is healthy, happy and blest
Hello to my friends at Caring Source. I have not been online with you all for some time now. I am sorry and I cannot believe how much time has gone by. Since we last spoke, my mother is not able to get up anymore and is now in bed full time. We are fighting our first bed blister. I am determined to stop this thing in its tracks. It came on "literally" overnight. Since she is in bed now all the time, I get up several times a night to turn her, and this is why I cannot believe a sore on her shoulder bone has popped up. I thought if I turned her all the time, every few hours, this would not happen. I do not want these sores to start because I know they are so painful and I do not want my mother to suffer anymore. You know I love the benefits of tea tree oil, I am their #1 cheerleader of this product, I am tempted to put it on her bed blister. Are there any other ideas that anyone has that you have found to work to keep these under control? My mom has gotten so tiny and frail, small and losing weight and this is why we cannot put her in the gerichair anymore. I may break a bone in transferring her from the bed to her gerichair. She does have osteoparosis and the nurses feel she is a candidate for a broken bone if we keep moving her. This brings you up to date on my situation. How is everyone else doing? Remember I pray for strength and joy for all of you as you take each day to care for your loved ones. God bless you all over the holidays and may you know there are those who relate to your situaitions and care about you here at Caring Source.
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Permalink Reply by Robyn Blaikie Collins on -
i'm wondering how you are doing with the bed blisters. did the tea tree oil do the trick? have you been able to avoid any bone damage? i hope you were able to enjoy the holiday.
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Permalink Reply by Jeanette Meyer on -
Yes, Thank you for asking. The tea tree oil seems to do the trick on just about anything. It also heals the elderly "cradle cap" condiition that she keeps getting around her hairline, in the scalp and on her face, eyebrows, and forehead. It is the constant battle for us. It seems to be under control now. That stuff, I tell you is a miracle for anything. We are now going through a stage of not eating, but drinking somewhat. She has lost alot of weight, and is frail and thin. We have her in bed now since May because of this thinness. The aide and nurse was afraid she would break a bone if I kept getting her up. So, things have changed somewhat as far as what we can do each day. She used to love to be pushed outside and sit in the sun. We cannot do that anymore so I chase the sun around the bedroom moving her bed to the position that the sun can hit her body and alittle on her face. She loves that. I appreciate your response and thank you for caring about us. It has been a humbling experience and has done alot to mellow me as a person to begin to look at others and their needs alot more. The holidays were nice. Alot of changes in the family, now the children are all married with spouses, and my daughter got the fly Christmas Eve and could not come, my son and his wife had to go to Spanish Fort, Ala. because she lost her mother to breast cancer last year and her father was still having a difficult time with Christmas, and so it was rather quiet for us which was a good thing too. My in-laws joined us and it was nice. My mother in law fell in our driveway, I was going to take her to the Summit and she slid, and fell and slightly split the back of her head open, and was not seriously injured. Praise God for that. She fianlly listened to my husband and I after that and went and got a cane, I would have rathered a walker, but first things first. To get a cane was a hard enough challenge. But, all in all, it was a day to reflect on the birth of Jesus, remember His saving love for us. I hope you had a nice Christmas also and that this year will be a wonderful year for you. Thank you again for your correspondence and for being such a sweet person to speak with. God bless you.
Robyn Blaikie Collins said:i'm wondering how you are doing with the bed blisters. did the tea tree oil do the trick? have you been able to avoid any bone damage? i hope you were able to enjoy the holiday.
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Permalink Reply by Ginny on -
I am sorry to hear of your Mom's continual battle with bed sores. They are so bad. Jeanette, I think you are so brave and strong to do all you do for your Mom. She is very blessed to have you. Honestly, I don't know how you are holding up and that concerns me. I go back and forth in my mind if I did the right thing placing my Mom in a nursing home Dementia Unit. I'm sure (at age 62) I don't have the patience and strength you have demonstrated to care for my Mom day after day, night after night. Most of the time, I know in my mind my Mom is in the right place. I travel a lot, etc and would feel uncomfortable having to rely on outside help in our home to take care of her. But then days like today..she called me crying, saying a staff person had "mistreated" her and she wanted me to come right then and move her home. It is so hard! I know the staff where she is takes really good care of her and they are wonderful. I also know my Mom can step on your last nerve with her unceasing determination and stubbornness. So who was wrong today? Did someone "mistreat" her or was it the dementia? So...the doubts go on. I think it is always a battle of the mind - second guessing the decisions we have to make for our loved ones. I think there is never a "right choice"...only a "better choice." I hope these things aren't laid on our children's laps someday! God bless you all who are Agers and CareHelpers!
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Permalink Reply by Jeanette Meyer on
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Ginny said:I am sorry to hear of your Mom's continual battle with bed sores. They are so bad. Jeanette, I think you are so brave and strong to do all you do for your Mom. She is very blessed to have you. Honestly, I don't know how you are holding up and that concerns me. I go back and forth in my mind if I did the right thing placing my Mom in a nursing home Dementia Unit. I'm sure (at age 62) I don't have the patience and strength you have demonstrated to care for my Mom day after day, night after night. Most of the time, I know in my mind my Mom is in the right place. I travel a lot, etc and would feel uncomfortable having to rely on outside help in our home to take care of her. But then days like today..she called me crying, saying a staff person had "mistreated" her and she wanted me to come right then and move her home. It is so hard! I know the staff where she is takes really good care of her and they are wonderful. I also know my Mom can step on your last nerve with her unceasing determination and stubbornness. So who was wrong today? Did someone "mistreat" her or was it the dementia? So...the doubts go on. I think it is always a battle of the mind - second guessing the decisions we have to make for our loved ones. I think there is never a "right choice"...only a "better choice." I hope these things aren't laid on our children's laps someday! God bless you all who are Agers and CareHelpers!
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