My 99 year old mother stood on a chair to fix the drapes. I don't know if she fell or not, but the drapes are on the floor and the rod is broken, with pieces missing. She doesn't remember how the drapes got on the floor but said some of the hooks were off - so she must have been up there. How I wish we could convince her to go into assisted living. She forgetting more and more, doing stranger and stranger things..............her judgement is totally gone.
Anytime I got into a project at home I wouldn't let go until I finished it. Everything had to be in its place. Now I am too tired to even think about fixing things, and my home looks it, too. Gosh, now I want some of the ODC to come back.
I don't even want to fix my own drapes now. But I admire the spunk your mom is showing. Of course, this "spunk" may really be the result of bad judgment, and I don't blame you for your concern.
Maybe you could negotiate with her that you'll support her continued living alone if she will start a list of what needs fixing, instead of trying to do it herself. But is her memory good enough to honor that agreement, even if she intends to?
How about talking of retirement? Not that she is incompetent to live on her own, but that she has certainly earned some rest and the right to have others providing nice meals and keeping her place clean and fixing things that break, etc. Have you taken her to suitable ALFs? Have you had a meal or two there?
From your profile, it says your Mother is in independent living... I assume she has an apartment in a senior facility. If that is the case, would she be happy living in an one room facility at assistant living? She would miss all her friends, and have to deal with all new people.
Does she have one of those Life Alert buttons to wear? Thus, if she does fall and hurt herself, she will get quicker care. So far, even with the down drapes, apparently she didn't hurt herself.