Mom had her stroke & heart attack on May 15, spent 1 week in hospital and now almost a month in the rehab place. I told them all I need if for Mom to stand up and be able to take a couple of steps with my help to her bedside commode at home (already have hospital bed there). Therapist said Mom can stand with assistance but can't hold herself up or take any steps yet...they said I might want to start thinking about "other" options... as a last resort i will glad rent a Hoyer Patient lift machine to use at home with her...but is there really no realistic hope that she can gain her strength back to hold her self up? Her stroke was on the right side and only affected her right hand/arm which she is showing improvement on...its just that she has been laying in bed for 5 weeks now and is having such a hard time standing up. I am beside myself, I want her back home asap where she would be more comfortable and happy. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Dear RobW3

From the title of your question, I am assuming your mom was diagnosed with AD. Alzheimer’s disease is very individual in nature and progresses differently in each person. It is common for the recovery to be slow when a person with disease is hospitalized or goes through any major change. Sometimes major changes can trigger the progression of the disease. It is also common for people with disease to be confined to a wheelchair as the disease progresses. Because of the nature of the disease, it is really hard to tell what can happen after a major change. Since she has shown some improvement, maybe if you give it some more time she may show more improvement. It is difficult to provide a definite answer to your question though. Since the Association does not provide medical advice, your question would be best answered by a medical doctor.

I know it is frustrating to watch your mom go through this when you want her home so bad. However, it is not uncommon to take care of someone in your mom’s stage in a home setting. There are a lot of caregivers who choose to take care of their loved ones at home even when their mobility is restricted. Feel free to call our 24-hour helpline for further questions related to providing care for mom. Thank you for using the Alzheimer's Association Online Community.

Sincerely,

Mini V.

Hi- I am a physical therapist and my mom who lives with me and my family has AD. I'm not sure why your mom couldn't take steps if only her right upper extremity was affected. If she's been in rehab for one month, she must be making some sort of progress or they wouldn't be able to continue to keep her there. What have they been working on with her is she's been in bed for the last 5 weeks? If she can sit up by herself and use her strong arm to scoot, she may be able to use a sliding board to transfer to a bedside commode (it would have to have a drop-arm). Or, have they assessed her with a walker or a hemi walker? We usually recommend a hoyer lift if someone needs total assistance to transfer. If she can stand and pivot to a chair she may not need that. Stroke patients make most of their gains in the first six months, but can improve even after that. It really just depends on the severity of the stroke and what part of the brain was affected. I don't know what stage of AD your mom has, but any change in medical condition seems to exacerbate the AD (from my work experience as well as with my mom). Good luck to you and your mom.