Most families learn about the night problem through a fall. That is the hardest way to learn it. Before the next fall there is usually a run of smaller events on the same walk from bed to bathroom, and they are easy to dismiss because nobody got hurt.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Watch the near misses
A near miss is a moment when she catches herself, steadies on the door frame, drops hard onto the bed edge, or stops in the hall with a hand on the wall. Nothing happened, so nothing gets written down. Write these down anyway. A near miss at the second stop of the walk tells you where her balance is slipping before the floor has to report it.
Notice the small changes in the routine
Several signs tend to appear before a fall is repeated. She may get up more often in one night. She may leave the light off because she does not want to fumble for the switch. She may walk the route without her slippers, or wait longer on the bed before she stands. She may take the walk more slowly than she used to. Each of these deserves a line in your notes, with the date and the time.
Check the route when the pattern changes
When you see a change, walk the route yourself at night, from the bed to the toilet and back, and check each stop in order. Can she reach the lamp from the bed? Is the night light still working? Has a cord crept across the path? Has a rug edge curled up? You are checking for what changed, not rebuilding the whole house. For the first steps after any fall, read the first ten minutes after a fall, and if you want the full set of guides in order, the reading path lists them.
What to bring to the appointment
Bring your near-miss notes, the times of her night trips, and the list of changes you have seen. Do not bring a guess at what is wrong. Instead, ask her doctor which changes should be reported and how soon, what would count as urgent, and whether there is anything the team wants you to watch for at home. Those questions belong to her clinician, not to you or to this guide.
Medicine questions also go to the doctor and the pharmacist, not to your notes. Your job is to bring a clear record, and let them read it.