Originally Posted by ~Christina
"Well I was able to get Steve up for about 2 hours. Long enough to nebulize take his meds and eat something.. Hes so unsteady on his feet. He went to get up and he started to fall and Im trying to get to him. Anyway he landed hard on his hands and knees, He said he didnt hurt himself.. His blood pressure was a bit low for him 100/55 ... I rechecked him about 20 or so mins later and 100/67.. "

The increase in his blood pressure 20 minutes after his 100/55 and being unsteady and falling after he got up may indicate that Steve now has Orthostatic (Postural) Hypotension which is a drop in blood pressure from standing up, especially after laying down, but also when standing up after sitting down. "Standing upright challenges the cardiovascular system as the pull of gravity displaces about 70% of the circulating blood volume to below heart level, much of it to the compliant veins of the dependent limbs and the pelvic organs"

The good news is that his blood pressure improved with time.

He may not have had Orthostatic Hypotension before, but as Mayo Clinic indicates one of the risk factors besides his age is: "Bed rest. If you have to stay in bed a long time because of an illness, you may become weak. When you try to stand up, you may have orthostatic hypotension. ( Orthostatic hypotension (postural hypotension) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic).

Perhaps having him move from laying down to slowly sitting up, and when he is sitting up have him move his feet and legs below his knees up down and tensing the muscles in his legs for several minutes could help his blood move from his legs back to his heart by the calf muscles.

"There are some exercises that help circulation and some manoeuvres which reduce [postural hypotension] symptoms. These simple exercises stimulate your circulation. You can do them in bed, or whilst sitting or standing and should do them before you change position or if you have been sitting or lying down for a while. Aim to do these for 5 to 10 minutes:
· Move your feet up and down at the ankle
· Rotate each ankle round and round
· Do gentle marching on the spot Living with Postural Hypotension

When it comes time for him to stand up having a cane or something for support. Some sources also suggest tensing leg muscles after standing can help.

I apologize if this is out of line or if you or someone else has already mentioned orthostatic hypotension in your thread. I have some familiarity with it because I have it.

Best wishes and prayers to you and Steve!