Elderly mother has broken pelvic bones... in care home... advice on helping recover? Especially nutritional

[loveyouradvice]

Just that really - she fell, just getting up from the sofa, so they will be checking out for osteoporosis.... and Im keen to do anything I can to support good healing. I know that sometimes bones especially in the elderly don't heal well and am keen to avoid that if we can.

Any advice? What have you done?

She's already on Vitamin D supplements though I am going to ask them to check her levels. I am going to encourage them to put her on at least two apple Ensure a day to increase protein and nutrition. She doesn't eat much, and we supplement with cheesecake and yogurts from the supermarket.

Any other tips? I seem to remember getting my daughter (who didnt heal the first time) some strange capsules from Canada - dried butter from pasture fed cows??? Reading that it sounds a bit bizarre

Really looking for more practical advice.

Luckily she has a nice physio in the home who she was already seeing once a week so I am sure he will help once she's back in the next day or two.

Other thoughts?

There are some tablets they can put them on at the docs not sure though. Also calcium- milk etc would be good.

Green leafy vegetables are also high in calcium which should help.

My DM broke her pelvis 5 years ago and was in hospital for 3 weeks. She made a good recovery and was doing stairs by the end of the 2nd week under supervision from the OT. She then went to a home for two weeks for intermediate care from physio and OT. My DM had been diagnosed with osteoporosis and had been taking her weekly tablet and this is the only break she has had despite all her numerous falls. Hopefully your mother will get a bone density scan. I'm convinced it is because she was good about taking her medication that she hasn't had any other broken bones. My df wasn't so good about taking his medication as he was also diagnosed with osteoporosis and had a horrendous broken femur after a fall in our living room.

Well, AdCal D3 is the one they recommend, twice a day, for bones.

Fosomax is a high-dosage thing, maybe once a week but I think there have been concerns raised about it in the last few years. It's not for everyone.
If she can weight bear on her leg despite the breakage she may be okay actually, she'll need painkillers of course for the duration and avoid her leg slipping out of the bed while half asleep as it doesn't 'set't then. Main preventative thing is a commode by the bed at night, wholly unglamorous and just not worth the candle not doing that when you think of the alternative.