When Your Loved One Breaks A Hip: What You Should Know
If you have an elderly loved one who has experienced a fall or other accident that resulted in a broken hip, you may wonder what you can expect as they get treatment to recover from their injuries. You'll want to ensure that they are safe and healthy to return to their home and to regular daily activities. A broken hip is a serious and sometimes difficult injury to recover from. However, it is not impossible. Get to know more about the recovery process from a broken hip and what you and your loved one can expect going forward. That way, you can provide them with as much care and support as possible throughout the process.
Surgery To Repair Or Replace The Hip Joint
When your loved one heads to the hospital for their accident, the doctors likely will have to run several tests and scans to determine the extent of their injuries. Because your loved one had a broken hip (also referred to as a hip fracture), the doctors will then consult with an orthopedic surgeon.
The reason for this is that hip fractures can be difficult to heal from properly without surgery to ensure that the joint is properly aligned and the bones are not malformed or weakened after the fact. Surgery for a broken hip can fall into two categories, hip repair and hip replacement.
When the hip is repaired, small metal screws are likely placed to hold the hip bone in place and hold the hip joint together as the break is healing. Hip replacements are done when there is too much damage or there are several different breaks that would prevent the hip from healing on its own without prosthesis.
Rehabilitation To Ensure Proper Hip Function
After surgery, your loved one will be restricted in the movements they can perform as well as the amount of weight they can place on the affected leg and hip. As such, they will need to go through a rehabilitation program.
Rehabilitation services involve the use of special beds that will relieve pressure from the hip and immobilize it while your loved one rests and recovers. It will also include occupational and physical therapy, and may even include psychological care for any frustrations or other issues your loved one may experience while in rehab.
Oftentimes, rehabilitation begins in the hospital before release and is continued in a convalescent home before your loved one is able to safely return to their own home. A convalescent home provides the trained medical staff and equipment needed to safely recover from a hip fracture as well as access to physical and occupational therapies on-site.
Now that you know more about the recovery process from a broken hip, you can be there for your loved one and help them get into a convalescent home that will provide them with the best rehabilitation care possible. They will be on their feet before you know it with your support and assistance in the process.