Broken hip

[charlie10]

It's very encouraging to hear reports of people recovering from this..... so much of what you read about broken hips 'say high rate of death afterwards'

Had texts overnight to say FiL had operation (screw and plate) and was well enough for my dad to visit him afterwards Apparently they are planning to mobilise him very soon (good luck with that ) which gives a glimmer of hope that he may get back to at least his previous level of mobility (not brilliant but he could shuffle to the kitchen etc even if he could only leave the house with his son.)

After a hip op are all elderly sent for rehab by NHS/SS? Does being a self-funder make a difference? And is it always respite, or sometimes in their own home? So many questions.....they pop into my mind when I can't sleep...

 

[Sirena]

It would be unusual to send someone home after this op unless they had a carer there 24/7, and the right facilities (level access bedroom/bathroom - they also thought my mother would need a wheelchair and hoist, although she actually didn't). I don't know if rehab is automatically offered - if you are a self funder, you may want to do it yourself anyway (may sometimes be quicker/better to do so).

There was a lady on my mother's ward who had dementia and had also broken her hip. She was at least a week 'ahead' of my mother - when my mother was admitted, this lady was already considerably recovered and starting to use a rollator - she looked ready to go home. But she lived at home with her husband, facilities and care there were not suitable for her convalescence so they were looking for a rehab place for her. When my mother returned to her care home 10 days later, this lady was still in hospital despite being far more mobile (and more compos mentis) than my mother - they still had not found her a rehab place.

Physio for dementia patients seems to be variable. The hospital physios claimed my mother refused to co-operate and was not mobile. The care home manager went in to assess her and had her up and walking (aided) in five minutes. Part of it is having the right approach.

 

[charlie10]

thanks Sirena.....food for thought. I think that FiL should not go straight home (he'd probably disagree with me!) and if they try to do so maybe we should be uttering the 'failed discharge' threat......however, we don't have any input into this apart from advice (hoping it's not nagging!) and have a feeling BiL will go along with whatever his dad and hospital say. He's probably unlikely to disagree with them (I want to tell him to put his Big Boy Pants on but it wouldn't help relations!). I'm hoping they will assess him properly and at least make sure he has extra care visits if he goes home.....presumably no-one can make him go to rehab if he has capacity

 

[Amy in the US]

I’m glad to hear he came through surgery okay. That must be a relief.

There’s also the issue of the house being safe and suitable. For instance, if he cannot climb stairs at all, is there a bed and toilet on the ground floor? Do grab rails need to be fitted? Are there stairs to get into and out of the house? Could he get out by himself if there is a fire or other emergency?

Those are issues you want addressed before he goes back home, not afterwards.

I don’t know if he can refuse to go to rehab? I don’t know how that works in the UK. I hope someone else can advise on that point.

Hoping for a good outcome!!

 

[charlie10]

thank you Amy the house was assessed after he came out of hospital last time....he already couldn't climb the stairs so sleeping/living arrangements are already in one downstairs room. Not ideal, but the OT seemed happy with what he's got now....except that they want him to have a hospital bed which he's refused but otherwise I'm not sure what else they could add housewise....unless they redid the kitchen at wheelchair height or built an extension or something heroic like that.....don't think that's going to happen

I'm amazed he was ready for a visit so soon after surgery....there's no way I would have wanted to see anyone that soon after my two hip replacements last year....shows what a tough nut he is, I've always said he'll outlast us all