My mother is recovering from surgery to fix a broken hip. How can I help her become independent again?
Identifying the reason for the broken hip is a good first step. Your mother is likely to have underlying osteoporosis, which can be diagnosed by having a bone mineral density (BMD) test. If the test shows significant bone loss from osteoporosis, your mother’s doctor will encourage her to consume at least 1200 mg of calcium a day and between 400-800 IU of vitamin D a day. The doctor should also consider prescribing a medication to treat her bone loss and reduce risk of future fractures. Rehabilitation and a slow return to exercise are vital after breaking a bone, especially a hip bone. At first, walking may be difficult. For this reason, many patients are transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility. A good rehabilitation center has staff specially trained to help your mother work hard so that she becomes stronger and more active every day. Initially, she may need a walker to move herself a few steps, but slowly her balance and strength will improve, and she will graduate
Related Questions
- My mother is recovering from surgery for a broken hip caused by a fall. What can be done to help her become independent again?
- My 70 year old mother is recovering from surgery to fix a broken hip. How can I help her become independent again?
- DePuy is offering to replace my hip and pay for the surgery. Won that fix the problem?
