Hi, I'm IDD! My mum in law is now disabled, what do we do?

IDD

Hi, my mother in law is 90 years of age, has had osteo arthritis for many years, has an irregular heart beat and carpal tunnel syndrome. Until early December last year she was mobile and independant, but a sudden deterioration in mobility stemming from pains in the lower back led to her being unable to get out of bed. The conclusion to this is she has been in hospital since the 12th December undergoing tests as her blood pressure now drops when she tries to get out of bed making her unstable when trying to stand. My wife and I have no idea of the route to go down , we have been told by the occupational therapists that we should remove her bath at her warden assisted flat and replace with a walk in shower. We can do that , luckily I run a building company, but we aren't sure of the situation regarding is she now to be technically known as disabled and can she claim any benefits as she has been told she might take a long time to return to being able to move around without a walking frame.
The doctors are still being slow with pain killers that actually work or the time scale involved regarding a spinal injection. She also has one shoulder that up until she had to use the walking frame she didn't realise wasn't up to bearing her weight. She can only currently travel around 4 metres before needing to sit down. 
I guess I'm asking who we should contact or if anyone here can tell us what to do next.
Many thanks, Ian.

IDD

I forgot to mention they told us this week it is Spinal Stenosis and her nerves are being trapped. 

chiarieds

Hi @IDD - & welcome to the online community; thank you so much for reaching out in trying to help your mother-in-law. I speak as someone who ordinarily has low blood pressure, & also as a long-retired physio.

You do naturally feel very 'wobbly' when having been confined to bed, then attempting to get up, & pain certainly doesn't help with a low blood pressure. I would suggest seeing if you can get a physio/OT to help her ever so gradually mobilise. This would entail gently sitting upright, then sitting on the edge of the bed for a while, allowing her to take her own time in adjusting. Time should be taken to get her used to just sitting upright. If she can transfer to a chair, then spending gradually increasing time seated will also hopefully help.

If she can then try a walker/rollator like the ones in the following links it would be easier, as she would be weight-bearing more through her forearms so should lessen any discomfort/weakness in her shoulder: https://www.completecareshop.co.uk/mobility-aids/walkers/forearm-walkers/wheeled-adjustable-trough-walker?sku=L18156

With a seat: https://mobilitypluswheelchairs.co.uk/products/mobilityplus-upright-rollator-with-forearm-support

A disability is anything which literally disables you, so no worries about looking into benefits that may help her. Some info about Attendance Allowance here: https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance  tho as you will see you need to have had problems for at least 6 months, so maybe something to look into in the meanwhile.

If your mother-in-law could get some physio whilst in hospital, I'd suggest that may also help, thinking about her spinal stenosis.

My best wishes to you all.

poppy123456

Attendance Allowance (AA) can't be paid if she's been in hospital for longer than 28 days. The day she went in and the day she goes home doesn't count.

IDD

Hi Chiarieds, thank you so much for your help, the OT/Physio is currently trying to assist with her ability to move around, I will look into your links to find out what to go with. My mother in law is mentally as sharp as a tack, we just want her to be able to be as independent as she wants to remain in the least amount of pain as possible.

Cher_Alumni

Hello and a warm welcome from me @IDD Thanks for joining us and telling us about your mother in law's situation.

I'm sorry to hear she is struggling with spinal stenosis. This is a condition I hear of a lot on our community so she isn't alone in this experience. And, I also get her wanting to retain as much independence as possible. It certainly sounds like she has a supportive family behind her with both you and your wife looking at options to make life easier. 

Please do consider the advice given earlier by our wonderful members and remember we are about 24/7 should any other questions occur to you. 

Just to let you know, I've slightly amended the title of your thread to help others spot it and offer any wisdom they have too.

All the best to you and your family. Have a lovely weekend.