Fractures in an elderly person - full recovery possible?

[vannah]

My MIL has been hit by bus - she is lucky to be alive. Fractured pelvis, wrist and knee is the outcome. Been in hospital for a week. I think she is about 63.

Im wondering whether she will ever fully recover and be as mobile as she was before. She lives on the 5th floor of a block that has no lifts...am wondering if she needs to relocate to a ground floor/bungalow.

Any idea how long it takes for a recovery from this sort of thing? She will be on her own when released from hospital and Im wondering who will help her with the toilet etc during the day -surely homehelp is only a couple of hours per day?
If anyone has any experience of parents/friends that are over the age of 60 recovering well/or not totally recovering from fractured bones please let me know.
thankyou

Do you know what surgery she has had?

don't know vannah but many 63 yr olds are tough as anything.

She will need help at home and physio though. Can you talk to her gp? I think that he or she can arrange home help for her recovery.

Bloody hell. The poor woman.

While she is in hospital, she should be fully assessed by social services and OT as to what help with mobility and a care she will need when she is discharged. Speak to the nurses on the ward to make sure the ball is set rolling early as these things can take ages to get funding in place. Care packages can vary widely from and few mobility aids to several hours of care/day.

As regards to recovery, it very much depends upon the individual's pre-existing health and mobility as well as the extent of her injuries. Hopefully, she's bounce back and should get intensive physio to help her get back on her feet safely.

63 years is a spring chicken. I work on a ward for elderly ppl over 75 yrs old who have fractured hip etc. We had one patient 97yrs old who had op and went home walking

thankyou for these replies, Ive just logged on this evening
She hasn't had any surgery, they considered it on her knee but changed minds

Its good to know that you dont think she's too old for a full recovery -
emma- that's very useful info. Didn't know that we needed to get the ball rolling early, and didnt know about funding.
What's OT by the way?

Occupational therapy- Not something sepcifically to do with work, but more how people do everyday tasks and how things can be adapted for them.

Is she ona rehab ward?

Aha. Thanks.
I think she is on a rehab ward, but cant be sure. I went to see her last week when she was still in A&E she's been moved since then...

Wishing her a speedy and full recovery

My grandmother, who is now 88, fell a couple of years ago while out shopping and broke her hip and wrist. Her hip had to be pinned and her wrist was in plaster for a while. She was in hospital for several weeks, but is still living independently in a first floor flat (no lift). She walks with a stick, and doesn't go out on her own anymore but apart from that she's back to her old self. She was diagnosed with osteoporosis after the fall and is on medication for it.

Hope your MIL makes as good a recovery.

My grandmother had a hip replacement after breaking the head of her femur, in her early 80s. No problems whatsoever. She's now 101 and can't walk far, but its nothing to do with her hip

Your MIL has had a lot of trauma, though, so I would think could do with quite a bit of help - depending on what stage she's at when they send her home? I'm sorry to hear about it, it sounds nasty. But 63 is not very old, I think the bone healing part is absolutely possible, without affecting future mobility more than those injuries would anyone at any age.

Wishing her well...

poor MIL vannah...really hope she makes a good recovery. If it's any comfort my MIL is 83 and has broken lots of bones - she has osteoporosis - she is a tiny,frail thing yet she can still walk a fair way (with a stick) and gets about - obviously she has pain but she knitted back together amazingly well - she broke femur most recently and has metal in it.

many thanks for your encouraging replies