Mother, age 90, broken hip bone in fall.?

Question

This will require surgery with pins or screws and follow up Therapy. Anyone have a friend or relative, (older) that fell and broke a hip? Average time to be able to walk again after therapy?

Answer 1

At this age in women, sometimes the fracture occurs from osteoporosis, then the fall follows. Too many variables to give your mom "an average time of recovery." First obstacle is getting through hip surgery at her age, and dependent on condition of bones and any health conditions that may slow healing processes down (i.e type 2 diabetes, poor circulation, etc...) It also depends, esp. at this age, on the willingness of the patient to do the work of the painful physical therapy to follow. I have witnessed patients at this age refuse to do the physical therapy it requires to get out of a wheelchair. Do consider that she will have chronic pain after this type of injury/surgery, and has a high risk of elderly depression. Discuss with her doctor a pain-modulating anti-depressive if physical therapy becomes a challenge, it does help some patients get back to walking. This helps my father-in-law keep out of the w/c.(86) His mother had osteoporosis and "broke" then fell at age 99. She refused to do therapy and remained in a w/c until her death at 103. Lots of patience and TLC needed on your part. Count on an extended recovery time in comparison to young patients. Best discussed with her surgeon, primary care doc, and physical therapist. Blessings.

Answer 2

I've worked with the elderly and known people who get hip replacment surgery. They usually have the person walk right away. This is especially necessary with the elderly, if they lay around they can get pneumonia, and this kind of pneumonia is often fatal. So be supportive and walk with her a lot and try to keep her from getting discouraged. Go with her to her therapy appointments and ask what you can do to help her when she's not having her PT. Don't listen to the people who say she won't be up and around. It's not true. Like I said, the main concern here is the pneumonia, that is her biggest worry after getting a broken hip.

Answer 3

Well, my grandma had her hip replaced after falling and shattering it, but at the time, she was about 70. She's now 80 and walks fine. I think it only took her a couple of months to recover, but she was 20 years younger than your mother is now. I hope her surgery and therapy go well and you will be in my prayers!

Answer 4

First, was your mother pretty active before this fall or was she frail? PT will have her up on her feet 1-2days after surgery if there are no other complications. She may always have to use a walker after her surgery but that shouldn't slow her down much if she was active before. It will be very important for her to do what the doctors and therapists tell her do, exercises, etc. I wish you both the best. I hope that this has helped, email if you have further ?s and I will answer to the best of my ability.

Answer 5

Elderly patients now spend far less time than in previous years recovering from a hip fracture in acute care hospitals. Lengths of stay fall dramatically when the patient is taken to the operating room early and when vigorous rehabilitation occurs. The physician, however, should not become preoccupied with length of stay as a major outcome.[2] The most important outcomes for elderly patients who break their hips are mortality and functional recovery. Measuring function at hospital discharge is not very valuable; a better assessment is function at 6 months.[77]
Most patients will not be able to walk independently at the time of hospital discharge, but eventually 50 percent will regain their previous level of ambulation. As many as 20 percent will become completely nonambulatory, which severely limits functional recovery and independent living. It has been shown that since the prospective payment system began, more elderly persons with hip fracture are remaining in nursing homes 1 year after the fracture.[2]

A recent rigorous, controlled trial showed that, compared with less intense care provided in a nursing home, rehabilitation of elderly hip fracture patients in a Medicare certified rehabilitation hospital offered no long-term functional advantage.[78] Many frail elderly persons will not be able to tolerate the 3 hours' minimum therapy required by Medicare in rehabilitation hospitals. Aggressive rehabilitation might not have lasting benefits. For many patients rehabilitation at home, with visits by physical therapists, nurses, and home health aides, might be appropriate, but at least one dedicated family member must be present. Alternatively, patients can undergo rehabilitation in subacute beds affiliated with nursing homes, with transition to a less restrictive environment as independence is regained.[19]

Answer 6

The hospital generally makes them begin walking within one or two days. Otherwise, she may have a blood clot or pneumonia.
She will be in therapy for about six weeks but the treatments will continue for about six months. Someone will have to help her to do that.
The most important thing is to keep her motivated towards living life. Promise her nice things if she can feel better, such as seeing the Grand Canyon or something other that she has always wanted to do.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 7

Arnold Ziffle

Answer 8

Hi,, , i have 2 stories for you...
1st... my grandmother was 95 fell in the Dallas airport, broke her hip,,, we all said,,, "thats it.. shes gone"...she pulled thru like a champ and lived to be 101......

2nd .. My own mother turned 80 was in the hospital for a mild stroke that she was recovering from,,, got out of the bed by herself to go to the bath room because the nurse was too lazy to come ....and slipped and fell,,, broke her hip,,, and died 3 days later.....


Good luck....

Answer 9

At 90 it starts getting tough recovering. I think you are talking at least three months of physical therapy, and she will never get complete use back. Start the timer when she is well enough to start physical therapy.

-Dio

Answer 10

At that age it is slim that they will be up and walking around. Hope I'm wrong.