Transporting broken ankle long distances

[twatchops]

Posting for traffic so apologies.
mother visiting. Severe ankle fracture requiring 3 hours surgery.
6 hour drive back to her home. AA are fortunately recovering her car.
Non weight bearing and using a frame. She can't come home to me due to stairs and toilet set up so needs to travel directly home. No ambulance/hosp transport available.
Physio suggesting leg up on back seat of car with wheelchair transfers to service station for toilet breaks.
Is this reasonable 4 days post surgery? Any helpful suggestions or recommendations for wheelchair hire?
She won't contemplate going on train with me which I think will be easier to manage.
Hosp keen for discharge ASAP.

HELP! Travel likely on Fri.
(And please feel free to send sympathies... it will be a long journey...)
Private ambulance unaffordable and taxi driver unlikely to be able to help her with toilet....

I think the Red Cross will hire out wheelchairs.

I'm surprised the hospital have released her. I was told strict bed rest for 2 weeks after similar, they told me if I didn't listen i would do serious damage.
Are the hospital aware of the distance?

Make sure they give her some serious pain relief before she gets in a car. A 20 minute journey nearly wiped me out.

Leg up on the seat? Surely that would be uncomfortable but more importantly, very dangerous is there was an accident?
I think I'd insist on train

Yes hosp aware.
She needs to travel with it elevated. Physio thinks this is reasonable in back of my car (bigger than their car)
How big is a folding wheelchair? Will it fit in back of a standard hatchback?

Any tips Anutteridiot?
I want to make it as painless as poss (for both of us......!)

I've used wheelfreedom.com for wheelchair hire. About £12 a week if I remember correctly, plus a delivery and collection charge. Will deliver anywhere reasonable in UK with 24 hours notice so you need to contact ASAP. They will collect it when you've finished with it. Foldable wheelchair which fit in the boot of my Fiesta if I took the parcel shelf off.

OK I didn't have the surgery but I did break/shatter and dislocate my ankle in the states - they reset it and plastered it and I got back to my hotel (lift with work colleague) and stayed a night before getting to airport and flying home and then drive back to home and once home had both sides pinned and plated and 3 mths in plaster.

My advice would be to ask them if it is possible to send her home before the surgery and have it local to her home. Sounds odd but actually most of the side effects of surgery are the anaesthetic and then the deep bone pain from pins being screwed through it

It took many phone calls to sort it from the US but managed it mostly by myself and Hubby back home phoning GP and being put in touch with orthopedic Surgeon in local hospital.

it is normal for a stay to be up to a week I think but yes shouldn't be sent home unless can manage to use crutches and or frame and do stairs with them

Red Cross wheelchair should fit in a standard hatch.
I flew home five days after breaking leg sitting side on across 3 seats on the plane. Not comfortable but doable. Train would have been a nightmare - I was terrified that someone would knock my leg.

Too late....
Surgery done on Mon.
Ankle was too unstable to leave it...
Can't break journey. It's going to take me 2 days as it is.... I have a job and a 3 yr old...

Oh and as for making travel comfy for that length of time, back seat will be OK with plenty of cushions etc but seatbelt will be awkward if she is sat sideways and I doubt she is up to legs akimbo forward sitting with leg up. Stick to loose clothing. I would aim for one stop and try and suss out in advance the layout and how close the loos are to doors. Drop her at the door - take someone else as well if you can - and get her to a seat then move car to carpark and get wheelchair out. Unfortunately temporary disablement doesn't allow you to use disabled spaces

A train would be a nightmare, definitely do it in the back of the car. It won't be comfortable, but it will be much easier x

oh and yes to train a nightmare

She's going home to essentially a bungalow with disabled wet room so will be fine when she gets there... that's the whole point of her going home rather than to my house. I have stairs with corners and a toilet too narrow for the frame...

I had a similar bad break a few years ago. Was out within 2 days (private health), non weight bearing for 3 months and 12 months physio to help me to walk again. I think the car is the best option - I wouldn't have wanted to go on a train with the high step up etc etc.

I haven't got any advice but recall the agony of fracturing my ankle just before flying home from Fuengirola. I hope you get something sorted and your mother makes a full recovery.

"No ambulance/hosp transport available."

What you mean is, they've realised that your DM has a relative nearby. Of course there is transport available! What would they do if she didn't have a DD who could drive 6 hours to her home?? They would transport her.

No-one else available to share driving or help...
husband manning the three year old and toileting his MIL probably stretches beyond the "in sickness and in health" bit of our vows....

I"m confused. Who is travelling with her? I broke my leg badly back in February and was in no fit state to go to the toilet on my own - and i'm probably younger than your Mum! I might add, a small 2 mile car journey lasting 10 mins if that was agony.

You need to fly. Just pay on your credit card. Honestly. This would have been far too much for me 4 days post.

I pushed and pushed for transport but because she is "independent for discharge" she would be expected to taxi herself home so she is ineligible apparently.
Taxi not an option as she needs help with toilet etc