This is Barbara D. who takes care of Bill with tm, here. Since the
list seems to be quiet now, I thought I would ask a question that is
really worrying me, that may or may not relate to transverse myelitis.
Probably not. But, anyway, I would appreciate any ideas if anyone would
care to have any experience with this---if not, that is okay, too! I will
understand.
About falling - one of Bill's neighbors who does NOT have tm that I
know of is 86 and has fallen at least 5 times that I know of. Once he
was in the hospital and came back out with health care workers - about a
month ago. Anyway, two days ago he fell while trying to get in his front
door. A nearby couple came by and they were trying to lift him up and
help him into his door. I walked up --- the couple announced that since
I was the largest person present that it was my job to stand this man
back up and take him inside. I said that I thought we should call EMS or
an ambulance to help or to check him out. The man who had fallen said he
wouldn't want EMS called.
What is the answer to this? I ended up walking away and the couple
picked him up and took him inside somehow getting blood on themselves. I
didn't hear later whether the man is still at home or whether he later
had to go to the Doctor. I figure he only scratched a finger or
something.
For the nurses or trained people on this board, I have worked in a
Nursing Home office and I've volunteered at an Alzheimer's Day Care --
I've always been told I'm not allowed to lift someone who has fallen.
Once I even tried to rent an apartment for Bill and the landlady at the
govt. assisted project told me that they do not lift a person who falls
but they always call Medical personnel - that it is illegal to lift
someone like that in case they are hurt when you don't know it.
I don't even lift Bill when he falls - which was only once since
I've known him and we repositioned him somewhat but couldn't lift him.
This man who fell the other day can walk a little bit with a walker,
which is different from Bill's situation.
What is the answer? Would you want a passerby to lift you or would
you want medical people to come? I think if I had called EMS or an
ambulance, I would have been going against his rights. I don't know his
daughter's number - the couple who ended up lifting him said they have a
family signature that they are allowed to lift him.
This is just something I never thought about before - the person's
rights to not have an ambulance called verses the person's possible need
to be checked out to be sure they didn't re-injure something. If I had
to guess, I would say nothing was hurt and he was okay - but what if he
had fallen again as I tried to lift him back up?
Now a few of the neighbors seem to be not speaking to me for my
walking away.
Hmm.....if I had it to do over again, I don't know what is right, not
even now. I tend to think the old-fashioned way. My Father was kept
tied to a wheelchair in a Nursing Home - so he wouldn't get hurt. I tend
to think it was better in the 50's when our neighbors just lived at home
and then you would "hear" that they had fallen - I think that is better
than tying someone up in a Nursing Home - - yet, I would have hated to
lift the guy and have him fall again as I was lifting. ?????? Please
help?
Any input would be appreciated, but if you don't know, you don't
need to discuss this.
I had one more thought. When a new person comes on this board, do
you think we should direct them to the archives or should we answer just
a little bit of our experience? I think we had a couple of new people
during that last ruckus and Bill and I didn't even really properly read
their posts because there were so many posts.
If I were a new person on here, I wouldn't want to have to read the
archives with no answer at all. I don't know.....this is just a thought.
Sorry this post is so long!
Barbara in Louisville
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