A hip fracture is one of the injuries most likely to change an older person’s life. Recovery at home is possible, and the first two weeks decide a lot of it.
Week one
Pain control, getting to the bathroom safely, and moving a little every day. The physiotherapy exercises from the hospital are boring and they matter more than anything else. A caregiver who does them with your mother twice a day is worth more than one who tidies the kitchen.
Week two
This is when families relax and when things go wrong. Your parent feels better, tries the stairs alone, and falls. Or the pain medication can cause constipation and confusion, and nobody connects the two.
What we do
- Daily visits, usually morning and evening at first.
- Exercises done, not just reminded about.
- A raised toilet seat, a shower chair and grab bars before they are needed.
- A weekly note to you and to the follow-up clinic on how it is going.
Funded home care after a fracture is common. Ask the discharge planner about it before you leave the hospital, and ask about CDHCI if you want to choose who comes.
