Older adults and seniors are more prone to slips and falls. In fact every 15 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall. A slip and fall for an older adult is generally more risky and damaging than for younger adults. The bones are more fragile and it usually takes much longer to recover. If you are a senior who has recently experienced an injury from a slip or a fall, you can improve your recovery process with the following supplies.
Graduating different types of walkers
Immediately following your injury, you are likely to need more advanced of walking assistance, such as a scooter or wheelchair. However, you do not want to rely on these walking devices for long. It is important to work out your muscles and increase their strength for movement. Utilize a wheelchair or scooter for the first couple of months following the injury. As you work through physical therapy or recovery from the surgery, move onto medical canes. Medical canes require you to stand, but still provide weight support. Eventually, the goal is to move to a single cane, and hopefully, move onto full mobility without the assistance of a walker.
Practice exercises at home
Physical therapy is a huge part of the recovery process. Your physical therapist likely shows you a variety of exercises to increase the strength of your injured area. It is also likely that they provide you with at home exercises to further increase the strength. Avoiding these at home exercises can prolong the time it takes to regain mobility and strength. Make it a routine to practice these exercises every day, either before you head to bed or immediately after getting out of bed. Requesting assistance with a family member can be a great way to stay motivated.
Follow all of your physician?s orders
Your physician knows what they are doing. If they recommend that you stay off of your injury for six months, this is probably the best advice for recovery. If they recommend that you begin physical therapy immediately, you should do that. Regularly schedule checkup visits with your physician for testing and reflex hammer types of tests. Follow their orders and inform them of any improvements or declines in your injury condition.
It is also important to visit your physician for monitoring of other health conditions. In many cases, other medical conditions can affect your healing and recovery. Just 9.3% of adults with diabetes have only diabetes. Other common conditions include arthritis, asthma, chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Co occurring medical conditions are common among seniors. Routine medical care is needed for reflex hammer types of tests and proper recovery.
Invest in physical therapy items for home use
Your physical therapist uses a variety of medical supplies to improve your condition and to reduce pain, including medical cotton roles, reflex hammer types, and hernia belts. If your injury is likely to take many months to recover from, consider investing in these same items at home. This will allow you to increase your physical therapy practice at home, thus leading to a faster recovery. However, you should always discuss your at home physical therapy schedules with your therapist to ensure you are strong enough for them.
Know your limits
Previously injured areas are prone to reinjures. Even after you have completed physical therapy, you will have to learn to know your limits. If you experience pain one day, consider using a cane for assistance. Never push it beyond your limits. Use of canes and other mobility devices soared almost 50% over a recent eight year period, according to interviews of more than 7,600 Medicare beneficiaries (2015). Never feel ashamed or defeated when you could benefit from your mobility device, especially if it prevents another injury.
Slip and fall injuries are often more damaging in seniors than in younger adults. The recovery process is much longer and requires greater care. You can advance your recovery process by practicing exercises at home, gradually decreasing mobility use, and learning to know your movement limitations. Certain medical supplies like reflex hammer types and walking belts can be especially helpful in the recovery process.
