Hip replacement is a major surgery, and because of that, many elderly people fear the thought of the surgery and the recovery. It just feels like it’s going to be too hard or too painful, but hip replacement surgery can significantly improve your elderly loved one’s quality of life if it’s needed. You can help them through this significant surgery by planning for the recovery time and having the physical therapy resources your elderly loved one will need.
How To Know if Hip Replacement Surgery is the Next Step
For many, hip pain starts slowly but then worsens to the point that their quality of life is greatly affected. Conservative physical therapy, temporary treatments, and management for the pain stop working, and hip replacement surgery becomes the next best step.
Here are seven signs that Hip Replacement Surgery might be in the future for your elderly loved one:
- Other forms of treatment have either failed or stopped working. If medications are not relieving the pain, or physical therapy alone isn’t managing the lack of mobility, then surgery might be next up.
- Your loved one (and perhaps even you if you’re nearby) can hear noises from the hips when they move, like popping, grinding, or clicking. Your loved one may feel like their hip catches on something when it moves, making movement difficult and abnormal.
- The pain in the hip area is getting worse and perhaps even keeping your loved one up at night. They may complain about pain in the outer hip, buttocks, groin, thigh, or inside the joint that doesn’t get better when they rest – it might even get worse.
- Your loved one is struggling with a limited range of motion in their hip. They might not be able to bend over to tie their shoes or get in and out of a vehicle.
- Other daily activities also become more difficult for your loved one to do as well. Climbing the stairs, getting up from the stairs, and even sitting comfortably enough to drive may make many daily living activities extremely difficult for your loved one to perform on their own.
- They are withdrawing from activities, interactions with those they love, and many other things that used to bring them joy in life. Having constant pain can lead to depression, isolation, and even a weakened immune system.
- Finally, X-rays have shown that internally, your loved one has limited joint space, bone spurs, cysts, or a deformity in the hip joint.
Hip Replacement Recovery Brings Hope
Once the decision has been made for hip replacement surgery and it is complete, helping your loved one recover will be a long road, but one that will lead to better days and better health. Preparing the home for their return is essential to make the transition smooth and safe.
One of the best ways to do that is to have your loved one’s physical therapy take place at home instead of at a clinic. When physical therapy is done at home by a licensed therapist through a home health agency, your loved one can get customized care that will ensure they’re set up for success in their home.
Physical therapy at home can also help caregivers gain a deeper understanding of how to support their loved one’s recovery more quickly and safely.
If you or someone you know needs Physical Therapy in Buffalo, MN, contact Adara Home Health. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve. Call us at (888) 525-7742 for more information.