Broken upper arm

[AInightingale]

Hi, can anyone advise me whether a broken arm (very high up fracture, near the shoulder joint) should still be giving pain after five days? This is an elderly woman of nearly 90 yo. Can't plaster an arm in this instance but a sling provided, but looks bruised and feels very sore still, even with pain relief. Is there a chance the bone has moved, and will surgery be necessary if so? I'm just wondering about an operation under GA for someone so old and what the other options are. Anyone know, I am asking MN as chances of speaking to her GP are pretty remote. Fracture clinic appt not to next week but should she go back to A&E id still sore tomorrow? Thanks.

Yes it will be painful for at least a few weeks.

Yes it's going to be painful. It's unlikely they will operate at her ages tbh and may well cause her problems for a very long time. They can't really fully immobilise it but make sure she isn't trying to move it to dress, hold things etc.

If she's not already on it then it may be worth speaking to GP about medication for bone protection or to discuss osteoporosis risk.

Mine is still very painful over a year later. She's still in the very early stages, OP, and I really feel for her.

She will probably be prescribed medication - it's really important she takes that.

I had a tiny fracture in my hand it it was so painful for the first couple of weeks though it did ease. Can you get her better pain relief?

Thx for replies, they are reassuring (in a way) that's it's always difficult -can't put a cast on etc.

They have her on paracetamol but I really think it should be a stronger painkiller than that somehow!

She is already on calcium as a follow on treatment for a break (same arm but healed ok) last year.

If she alternates 2 x paracetemol and 2 x ibuprofen (if she can tolerate this - remember she has to have food with the ibuprofen) - then she should find that helps take the edge off the pain.

Every two hours she can take one or the other - max of 4 doses of each per day.

yes, unfortunately this is a really painful injury as it can’t be properly immobilised. Make sure that she’s wearing the sling and minimising movement of the shoulder, but keep the neck, elbow and hand / wrist moving.

She ought to be able to take more in the way of pain relief than that - speaking to a pharmacist is likely to be much easier than a GP.

ibuprofen would not usually be recommended for a nearly 90 year old.

Regarding a GA - when my mum broke her hip they fixed it with an epidural.

Is your relative claiming PIP for help with having her house cleaned etc?

At 90 I would expect a home visit from her GP.

Did she have carers arranged through the NHS? My mum had carers four times a day for several weeks, but really she needed someone with her all the time. I'm not sure what your relative's needs are, eg at night time.

A epidural won’t be suitable for an arm injury.

PIP isn’t for temporary conditions

why would a home visit be needed? This is something that a pharmacist or GP phone call could sort out.

short term carers is a good idea - do you have reablement teams where she lives @AInightingale

She has an assisted care place so there's a lot of care on-site, they help her wash and dress and make her a meal atm, so no problem there, she isn't struggling on her own in a house. It just seems an absolute pig of an injury that's hard to keep stable because of where it's located.

Her arm will not ever be the way it was, which is why I suggested PIP, particularly given the lady's age.

I thought a home visit might be needed as the GP might want to actually examine her arm. My mum's GP will make home visits in this sort of situation, given how painful it would be for her to visit the surgery.

That’s good that she lives somewhere so supportive already @AInightingale , hopefully her pain control can be improved she’ll find it easier to get through these first few weeks. That should definitely be do-able without her having to return to A&E.

I don’t want to detail this thread with PIP conversations but you cannot claim it for the first time after you’ve reached state pension age.

She (it's my mum!) does claim Attendance Allowance as she also has dementia but not PIP. Didn't think this was available to those over pension age, I really don't know much about PIP at all.