Update

On Saturday morning Helen and I visited Margaret at  9.30 am to find her sitting hunched up on the edge of her bed.  We couldn't get her to talk to us and she was nearly falling over.  Her carer sat next to her and held her up while she called for a hoist to lift her up and back safely on the bed.  We are not sure what happened but we think that she had tried to get out of bed for some reason and could not stand up and just froze.  She had been catheterised the night before to check her urine flow and she may hve been confused by the tube and collection bag.

We  hadn't taken Louis in and she really wasn't up to a walk so she stayed in bed.  She was really confused and her both her legs are now massively swollen.  She hadn't taken her breakfast medications so I gave them to her.  I left at 12.00 noon to feed Louis and get some rest leaving Helen to hold the fort.  Margaret was dressed for lunch, which she didn't eat, and was transferred by hoist to the dining room to watch a video on the Large screen TV about ballet which Helen thinks she enjoyed.  She was taken back to her room and hoisted back into bed and Helen was left to look after her.  This proved very traumatic as during the afternoon she began to fall out of bed and Helen had to support her while trying to get hold of a  carer to help.  Margaret became very aggressive and actually bit Helens arm leaving a great imprint of her teeth on Helen's forearm. She also ripped poor Helen's necklaces off and threw them away.  The carers helped get her back in bed and she was given a sedative. 

By the time I got back to pick up Helen and take out for dinner as she had been there for eight hours without a break Margaret was calm but in some pain and I asked the RN is she could have some morphine.  We went out to a Local Surf Club to have a meal with Margaret's cousin and daughter but arranged to come back at 8.30 pm to help settle Margaret down for bed.  Unfortunately this message wasn't passed on to the carers so when Margaret started to ask where we were she was told that we weren't coming back.  Margaret freaked out and would not remain in her room so was taken to the dining room to sit in solitary state and unattended in the dining room.  When we arrived she had thrown a cup of tea and some biscuits on the floor and was very upset.  I managed to get her to stand up and transfer from her armchair to her wheel chair so we could take her back to bed where with some difficulty we managed to settle her down.  The RN brought in some sedatives and a sleeping tablet which she had refused to take.  She took them for me and we stayed until they took effect and left her sleeping quietly.  At home we both had a stiff gin and tonic as our sedatives and watched the Australian Election results.

This morning we were back at 9.00 an to find Margaret sitting on her wheely walker in her bathroom refusing to come.  She was showed and dressed but was holding her partially healed arm in an awkward manner.  She got out of bed and fallen in the bathroom during the night at 11.00 pm  and had another fall at 6.00 am.  Paradoxically she had been very quiet and well behaved and taken all her tablets.  We got assistance from two carers to get her into her wheel chair and took her for a walk around the block to give her some fresh air as it is a beautiful sunny day.  When we returned her GP called in.  He is still concerned with the swollen legs but the infection appears to be lessening.  He was worried that she may have re-broken her left arm and she will have X-rays tomorrow.  He also reviewed  her medications and she  will be given more drugs to lessen her anxiety and aggression.  He is now on call to visit any time.  It is likely that Margaret will be placed on the Queensland's Health Palliative Care Program in the near future.  A specialist will examine her and set up a care plan which will be administered by the RNs and monitored by the GP.


I went home just before 12.00 noon to feed Louis but shall return about 2.00 pm with Louis to try and cheer Margaret up.  By then she should be a lot calmer.  We should be able to leave her in the RN's care overnight and she will be on regular surveillance in case she fall again.