Good afternoon all. My elderly mum had a stroke just before Christmas and got transferred to a rehab center at the beginning of the year. She lives all own and before the stroke was fit healthy and extremely mobile. We’ve been asked to have a meeting with her care team to discuss her being discharged home. At present she has a catheter fitted, can’t get out of bed without 2 nurse helping her, paralyzed down her left side with no movement and only just started to eat with out a feeding tube. Do you think this is a bit premature sending her home? They’ve mentioned carers would come to the house 3/4 times a day but what about nights? Have any of you had similar experiences and any suggestions?
YES Jon, it’s too early.
She needs to be at least be eating for herself, no toilet issues - getting there on her own otherwise able to transfer onto a commode on her own, So no catheter AND no incontinence.
It took me 8 weeks to get to sitting up, standing enough and step transfer to a chair, commode, turning equipment to get to a toilet. Carers helped me for 2 months after. My care package had to with help of one. So in all I was in hospital for 10 weeks.
6 months later, I walk with no stick indoors and take a single one outside. I can walk 1kmon a good day. I only have physio 4 x per week now. I manage drinks and cold food on my own. I can get in and out of a car ok too.
That’s what you can achieve with physio nearly everyday, proper after care with heavy stuff around the house. Don’t be bullied into going home early. I nearly was but fought it.
All the best for your mum. Try and keep her motivated.
Hi & welcome to the forum @Jon2 from what you’ve described I would say it is too early to discharge her home. Given she lives alone she should be able to do a few things for herself. When you attend the meeting you need to make sure they are fully aware of her situation, make sure you don’t agree to do anything you can’t maintain (i.e. you might be able to help look after her for a couple weeks but if you agree to that they’ll expect you to do it long term). She needs an assessment of her home to make sure any adaptations she requires are in place, check what the plans are for her catheter (they may send her home with it), how they’re going to ensure she’s fed, what the care plan will be, whos funding it etc. What physio / OT will she get ?
You normally only get carers 4 times a day maximum & often nothing at night but you should check this with them. You may need some sort of alarm fitted - can’t remember the name of them sorry.
Just a few things to discuss with them that I can think of.