Geriatric proofing grandparents house. Ideas, experiences, opinions?

[MedicBender]

Hey everyone,

Recently my grandfather had a fall at home and as a result, spent 5 weeks in ICU/GenMed floor at the hospital. He had 2 subdurals which resolved. Later CT scans revealed a brain bleed. Because of this he has been taken off plavix/aspirin, however with A-fib and cancer his clotting risk is increased. Doctors have given him around 6 months. With a few recent TIAs there is concern that he may have much less time before a major stroke occurs.

He's since been discharged to hospice and is currently staying at a hospice house about 30 miles from him home.

Over the past week he's accepted that his time may soon be up and he wants to be discharged to home.

Currently he requires assistance with shower/cooking/dressing himself. He's can still walk very well, feed himself, and communicate well.

The hospice will provide an LPN 2 hours per day, and a CNA for 8 hours a day.

Myself and the rest of the medical trained side of the family will be providing care over nights and when needed.

I'm in the process of making the house as geriatric friendly as possible. Moving rugs, installing railings in the bathroom/bedroom, and trying to make this an easy transition.

Any points, experiences, ideas, or thoughts about what would make this easier or safer?

Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[TbArbie]

My grandfather had a similiar issue...Id start with non slip sock like the type from the hospital or slippers, Id also use non slip mats in the bathroom or other areas in the house

 

[MedicBender]

My grandfather had a similiar issue...Id start with non slip sock like the type from the hospital or slippers, Id also use non slip mats in the bathroom or other areas in the house

I managed to get a few pairs of those socks from the hospital during his stay. Currently on the hunt for more. Thanks!

 

[TbArbie]

hey anytime! i mean were all here to help each other in some way you know..

 

[Anjel]

Make sure if there is any transitions from tile to carpet that the strip that separates them is covered with some kind of rug or non slip contraption.

I'd move any night stands away from the bed, in case he falls getting out of bed, he wont have anything to hit his head on. Or get the baby Styrofoam liners that you line against the edges of furniture so they can't cause much damage if you fall and hit them. .

 

[adamjh3]

Move commonly used items in cabinets such as dishes, toiletries etc to somewhere around waist height. I know you mentioned hand rails in the bathroom, but don't forget to overlook putting them near the toilet as well, if possible.

Also, consider some sort of hailing device for if caregivers are out of shot

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

 

[MedicBender]

Make sure if there is any transitions from tile to carpet that the strip that separates them is covered with some kind of rug or non slip contraption.

I'd move any night stands away from the bed, in case he falls getting out of bed, he wont have anything to hit his head on. Or get the baby Styrofoam liners that you line against the edges of furniture so they can't cause much damage if you fall and hit them. .

The entire house is hardwood floor, so as long as he has the grip socks on, we should be ok.

Good idea on the night stand, wouldn't have thought about that. We're looking into railings to put along the side of the bed to prevent him getting out of bed at night without letting us know. He's a bit stubborn like that.

Move commonly used items in cabinets such as dishes, toiletries etc to somewhere around waist height. I know you mentioned hand rails in the bathroom, but don't forget to overlook putting them near the toilet as well, if possible.

Also, consider some sort of hailing device for if caregivers are out of shot

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk

Another good idea. Hopefully he wont have to get to many things that are out of reach. I'm looking at moving some of the books on the top book shelf down lower.

Right now for a hailing device we have a baby monitor. It works well with my grandmother for when she has to get up at night. We will be doing a trial run with my grandfather this weekend. I think hospice mentioned being able to send him home with a bed alarm, which might be a good idea.

 

[Aidey]

Get brighter light bulbs that in the neutral or natural light spectrum. It is much easier to trip/slip on things that can't be seen clearly.

 

[bigbaldguy]

First let me say I am very sorry to hear about your grandfathers misfortune. It hits very close to home. I just lost my father in August after he fell in the back yard.
If your father has medicare then talk to the hospice company and they should be able to put you in touch with someone who comes in and makes the house elderly friendly. These companies will not only give you a report on what needs to be done but can also arrange for the work to be done. Once your grandfathers doctor signs off on the work it will all be covered by Medicare just like a wheel chair or walker. There is usually very little or no cost. Medicare doesn't want your grandfather falling anymore than you do.
Also make sure someone in your family speaks with your grandfather about his final wishes regarding funeral arrangements ect. I was amazed at how little my mother knew about what my dad wanted in this regard.

 

[mycrofft]

2nd BBG above.

In the meantime, make sure he has access to entertainment. We safety the house then assume folks will lie quietly and look softly into the unknown when what they really want is reality TV, MMA cage fighting and maybe to lurk on EMTLIFE.

 

[Sasha]

A soft "gym mat" for either side of the bed if they don't provide him a bed with rails.

Possibly a bedside commode as his mobility fails.

Chucks for his bed in case he needs assistance being moved up, down, or centered in bed. A lot easier then pulling on his shoulders.

 

[MedicBender]

First let me say I am very sorry to hear about your grandfathers misfortune. It hits very close to home. I just lost my father in August after he fell in the back yard.
If your father has medicare then talk to the hospice company and they should be able to put you in touch with someone who comes in and makes the house elderly friendly. These companies will not only give you a report on what needs to be done but can also arrange for the work to be done. Once your grandfathers doctor signs off on the work it will all be covered by Medicare just like a wheel chair or walker. There is usually very little or no cost. Medicare doesn't want your grandfather falling anymore than you do.
Also make sure someone in your family speaks with your grandfather about his final wishes regarding funeral arrangements ect. I was amazed at how little my mother knew about what my dad wanted in this regard.

Thanks for your condolences. We're currently fighting with medicare over what they will pay for and what they wont. He's a veteran so the VA has been helping here and there.

He's actually been planning this for quite a while. He's a very religious man and over the past few years has accepted his time is near. He's made most of the arrangements already thankfully.

2nd BBG above.

In the meantime, make sure he has access to entertainment. We safety the house then assume folks will lie quietly and look softly into the unknown when what they really want is reality TV, MMA cage fighting and maybe to lurk on EMTLIFE.

We're considering moving his TV into his bedroom. However there is concern that he wont want to leave bed to much, so to encourage him getting up and around the house (with supervision and support) we're going to do a trial of keeping it in the den. We've also set up a lot of his plants (he's an avid gardener) on the main floor so he can attend to them. During the summer it's one of his favorite activities.

A soft "gym mat" for either side of the bed if they don't provide him a bed with rails.

Possibly a bedside commode as his mobility fails.

Chucks for his bed in case he needs assistance being moved up, down, or centered in bed. A lot easier then pulling on his shoulders.

My only concern with the gym mat is that they shuffle everywhere (everyday i'm suffling?) and it's very easy for them to trip.

The chucks are a good idea. We've recently acquired a commode as well.


This up coming weekend will be the first trial run. He'll be home for 3 days and then we will re-evaluate if it's working.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, I'm hoping this goes well, it's killing me seeing him in hospice.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Since your Granfather is a vet there are special funds he may qualify for that can be used specifically for home care. We had started the process for my dad but he died before we got very far. The nice thing about these funds is they are not income dependent so even if your grandfather has assets or a good pent ion he may still qualify. You should definitely look into this.

 

[MedicBender]

I'll pass this info on to my cousin, she works for the VA and will hopefully know the appropriate channels to go through.

Thanks for all your help guys and gals, t-minus 1 week till he's home. I'll keep everyone updated