Your mom needed surgery after a fall. She fractured her hip and comes home from the hospital in a few days. You need to understand the realities. According to AARP, of the 300,000 men and women aged 65 or older, some loss of mobility is a certainty.
About 9 out of 10 adults need help climbing stairs after a fall. Almost 7 out of 10 need help getting up standing up after using the toilet. Half of them can’t get out of a chair without help. Putting on pants without help and getting out of bed are other common problems.
Home care services aides can help your mom with many of these tasks. You can also help out by making sure your mom has a chair that makes it easy for her to stand up after sitting. Here are the important features to look for when shopping for new seating.
Choose Higher Seat Positions
Don’t choose a sofa or chair that’s low to the ground. Your mom’s knees should be lower than her hips. Ideally, she wants to have a seat where her knees are a couple of inches lower than her hips when seated. She needs a seat that allows her to place her feet flat on the floor.
Make Sure the Seat Has Sturdy, Non-Slip Arms
The seat should have sturdy arms that your mom can use for support while she stands. Those arms should be high enough that she can touch them from a standing position. The arms should be made from a material that’s not slick so that her hand doesn’t slip when she’s standing up or sitting down.
Pick a Chair With a High Back
Your mom wants a chair that supports her back and shoulders when she’s seated. Look for a chair with a high back that’s firm enough to keep her back straight. She doesn’t want to sink into the chair and try to stand up from a slumped position.
Don’t Overlook the Toilet
Your mom also will need to be able to sit down on the toilet and stand back up. A bar in front or on both sides of her to use for support as she stands up is important. A raised toilet or toilet seat that keeps her hips higher than the knees is also important to consider.
Support Her With Home Senior Care Services
Arrange to have home care services aides with your mom the day she comes home from the hospital. She’ll have a lot of therapy sessions at home or in an office. She’s going to need help getting in and out of the shower without risking another fall. She’ll need help with dressing, ambulation, and transportation. Call our home care services agency to make arrangements.
Sources::https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-10-2011/hip-fractures-survival.html