Margaret's Holiday is Over

After my post last night I went to bed about 9.30 pm and Margaret was well settled down.  At 11.15 pm Margaret woke up and got out of bed to go to the loo.  She got out of the wrong side and had to stagger around the bed to reach her wheely walker but didn't make it.  She fell heavily on her left shoulder and was in a great deal of pain and had laboured breathing.  I phoned for an ambulance and contacted reception.  The night manager came to assist and left a porter to direct the paramedics to our unit.

They arrived within twenty minutes and after checking Margaret out gave her morphine for the pain and took us both to Nambour Hospital.  Here they took blood tests and X-Rayed her shoulder and chest.  The X-Rays showed a clean fracture of the humerus at the shoulder.  She was kept in overnight and I went back to hotel and got three hours sleep before breakfast.

I phoned the hospital at 9.00 am to find that she was in an orthopaedic ward and had been examined by a specialist who said surgery was not required and she could go home with her arm in a cuff and sling.  I packed some clothes and went to pick her up only to find another doctor examining her.  He was a geriatric specialist called in by the physiotherapists who had said that, due to her lack of independent mobility and poor health, it was unsafe for her to come back to the hotel or even to go home.

The doctor was very concerned with her renal and cardiac conditions.  Her kidney function has dropped to 18 ml/Lt, the lowest since last year,  there was fluid build up in the lungs and her heart was irregular.  he told me that she could not come home until she could use her wheely walker which could be several weeks if not months.  When the fracture settles down and is not as painful she will have and Aged Care Assessment Officer assess her condition.  In the doctor's  opinion her dementia is now quite severe and with her poor physical condition she is now "High Care" and should be in a Nursing Home from now.  I shall reassess my position later but as I said at the start of this blog if she can be made safe at home I will continue to care for her.

I am going to stay at the hotel until Friday as originally planned as this will make it easier to visit Margaret and I can also get a good rest.

Margaret is in a great deal of pain as any movement of the arm affects the fracture but with only the ball joint above it, it is not possible to splint.  I am going to have rest before going back to see her later this afternoon.