My mother in law who is in her seventies managed to break her ankle in three places just over three weeks ago. She has been in hospital ever since. Now she is close to coming out, it has made the family reconsider mobility in her home. It will be a long road to recovery. Broken bones heal much slower for the elderly. My mother in law is also diabetic which slows down the healing further, 2 to 3 times slower, which is quite a lot! My father in law is almost eighty so he will need extra help caring for my mother in law. Luckily, myself, their daughter (my wife) and my brother in law are all local, so we have a good support system in place. However, there are things you can do to improve mobility after returning from hospital.
Make Them Aware Of Fall Hazards
My mother in law was cleaning and misjudged her step over the waste bin lid she had placed on the floor. It’s important to make the elderly in particular aware of fall hazards as they are not always as steady on their feet. If you can make sure you visit your elderly family regularly to check that they are not living in cluttered conditions which might make a fall more likely. My mother in law actually keeps a very tidy house so that wasn’t her problem, but it might get more cluttered now mobility will be harder to keep on top of things.
Modifications To The Home
We have considered adding a temporary stair lift to their home as the staircase is very steep. So, I have been looking at stairlifts prices to give us some idea. My father in law had a visit from the hospital home assessment team to see if my mother in law needed any further modifications. They are having her bed raised and provided a toilet safety rail so it’s easier for her to manage on her own.
Keep Them Active
The danger is the elderly lose confidence after a fall and don’t spring back like they used too when younger. It’s good to get them moving as much as possible. They need to build their strength back up.
The problem is they spend too long lying in the hospital bed recuperating. There are simple exercises they can do. Even just moving their arms and legs around if they have been lying down for a while. When they are sitting in a chair, they can lift up their legs. Just stretch those muscles and keep them working as much as possible.
I must confess I was a little concerned my mother in law was spending too long in the hospital bed. But she has come on a treat the last couple of days. Sometimes they need a push to get back to a more active lifestyle. Although I understand after the pain and discomfort of the break that can be hard to face initially.
Before I mentioned about confidence so when the time comes for them to go on a gentle walk, make sure you go too. They need to have reassurance someone is close by. Otherwise, they might choose to put off getting out and about for longer than they should.
Adequate Lighting
As you get older you need brighter lighting to offset your vision changes as you age. By improving visibility falls are less likely. My in-laws have yet to make any changes to their lighting so that is something we should definitely consider going forward. Maybe then she wouldn’t topple over bin lids!
Not Overdoing It
Yes, they need to be active and do those exercises to improve mobility. However, they will need support with the day to day running of their homes so they can focus on resting and recuperating. It’s not a good idea for them to overdo it, especially given how long the recovery process is. Pitch in as much as you can support them, whether its vacuuming, dusting the house or running errands for them. I am sure I will have a long to do list soon enough!
The Right Food
Ensure they are eating healthy wholesome meals. Think about food that will help with healthy bones as that will help with their recovery from a break. Plenty of calcium, with green leafy vegetables, nuts, dairy and fish (the edible bones in Sardines). Vitamin D is usually produced through sunlight so its important to take a supplement. Especially with an extended hospital stay where they haven’t been outdoors for weeks or even months.
Looking after someone can be exhausting so also take time to look after yourself. If you have a few relatives nearby make sure everyone pitches in, so you do not burn out from doing more than your share.