When an octagenarian breaks their hip - how bad is it really?!
Question: I've always heard that it is the beginning of the end for a senior citizen once they break a hip. My understanding is that this is because of infection and that it is hard for them to ever fully recover from this.
Is this right? Can they go on and learn to walk again? Or are they now pretty much immobile?
I realize that this is a broad question and that the health of the individual person would be a big factor in each case. But I am trying to ask this in general over all sense.
Thank you in advance.
Answers: I've always heard that it is the beginning of the end for a senior citizen once they break a hip. My understanding is that this is because of infection and that it is hard for them to ever fully recover from this.
Is this right? Can they go on and learn to walk again? Or are they now pretty much immobile?
I realize that this is a broad question and that the health of the individual person would be a big factor in each case. But I am trying to ask this in general over all sense.
Thank you in advance.
At that age, bones simply do not heal as quickly or as well as they used to. I don't know about the infection you mentioned, but I do know that the majority of people over 80 who break their hips don't really walk again.
My dad is 84 and still quite sharp, so he is very careful whenever he walks anywhere. Even when taking a few steps from his living room to his kitchen, he remains aware of his feet and the floor, and watches for anything that might trip him.