More than 300,000 older adults fall and fracture their hips each year. Three out of four of these people are women. The reasons for this are that women are more likely to fall, and they also have a higher risk of thinning bones after menopause.
Your mom just had hip replacement surgery. What happens now?
The Hospital Discharge
Elder Care Syosset, NY: Hip Replacements
Following her surgery, your mom’s surgeon may want her to stay in the hospital for a day or two. It all depends on how quickly your mom is back up on her feet and walking around. If she’s having a hard time with balance or confidence, she may be given a walker or cane to use.
Once she’s able to walk with the assistance of a walker, cane, or caregiver, she’ll go home with a set of instructions to follow. You might ask about home health care services for her physical therapy sessions if it will be hard to take her to every appointment.
Staying Active Is Important
The key to recovering from a hip replacement is to stay active. Your mom shouldn’t sit around and do nothing. She’ll have physical therapy exercises her medical team asks her to complete several times a day. Make sure your mom is encouraged to do them.
She needs to take frequent walks to strengthen the joint and make sure it is loose. The longer she sits around, the stiffer her joints become.
Keep Track of Medications
Your mom will be taking anti-inflammatory pain medications, such as ibuprofen, to manage pain. She needs to make sure she’s not taking them too often. If she has a hard time tracking when she takes her pills, it helps to have a caregiver help her keep track of timing.
Plan for About a Month of Recovering
There are tasks your mom will be advised to avoid for a month or so. This includes driving. She shouldn’t drive until her surgeon clears her. It might be four to six weeks before she’s healed enough to drive to stores, medical offices, and area businesses.
She needs to avoid strenuous activities. If she loves going for long walks, she needs to shorten them. Having someone with her for walks, time spent outside in her gardens, and shopping trips is beneficial.
Schedule Caregiver Services
Arrange elderly care as soon as you can. She’ll want to have a helper for a few weeks to assist her with housekeeping, transportation, and meal preparation. Until she’s steady and regaining strength, she needs to have a caregiver to help her with showers and hygiene.
Your mom is going to find it difficult to stand up after sitting down. Until she regains strength, it helps to have a caregiver help her stand up after using the toilet and stand up after sitting on a chair or sofa. She may need help getting in and out of bed. Elder care aides help with all of this.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Syosset, NY please contact the caring staff at Brookville Homecare today. 516-802-7722
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/falls/hip-fractures.html