Doctors and other medical professionals know that medical problems are not the same across all people. What could be a major issue for one patient could be a quick fix for another.
That’s why medical personnel in senior-care facilities are so acutely aware of the complications of broken bones in the elderly.
The unfortunate reality is that broken bones can cause a host of other medical issues in senior citizens, depending on a variety of factors, and they go well beyond the broken bone itself.
One of those issues is an increased risk of death, even years after the initial break.
All of this is why it’s so important for seniors to have access to orthopedic recovery services like those we offer at Senior Health Care Solutions.
You can learn more below about the real complications of elderly people breaking bones and what we do to help them recover in our rehabilitation and personal care centers.
Why Are Broken Bones Different for Seniors?
The center of this topic is the difference between seniors and younger people when it comes to breaking bones.
While every broken bone should be examined and treated by a medical professional as soon as possible, a simple break in a young person might require nothing more than a cast and a few weeks of healing.
With elderly people–who might already be fall risks due to osteoporosis, dementia, or general weakness in the limbs–a broken bone can be much more difficult to get past.
Simply put, many older people do not have the strength and ability to heal that a younger person does. Seniors can recover from bone fractures, but it can take them much longer to do so.
And while that recovery is happening, other areas of their lives could be negatively affected.
Depending on the type of break, a senior could be incapacitated and unable to walk or even perform basic daily functions for an extended period.
In some cases, seniors who suffer broken bones end up having to move into long-term care facilities because they can no longer live alone.
We see this often with hip fractures, which are one of the worst types of bone breaks that the elderly can suffer.
That’s because hip fractures in older people can cause so many other issues that place additional stress on the body.
From the pain of the break to any subsequent surgery, immobility, infections, or cardiac issues, not to mention mental stress, hip fractures can unfortunately start a long, permanent decline in an older person’s health.
Here are a few important questions you may have concerning the complications of broken bones in the elderly.
Can a Broken Bone Cause Death in the Elderly?
While a broken bone can be a medical emergency for anyone at any age, in the elderly, broken bones can indirectly lead to death relatively soon after the break.
In worst-case scenarios, such as with hip fractures, the chances of an elderly person dying within the following year alone increase greatly. This is usually due to the slow healing process in older people, the person’s increased dependence on others, and an overall lowering of life quality.
Can the Elderly Recover from Bone Fractures?
Despite the scary stories out there about bone fractures becoming life-changing events for older adults, it’s also true that the speed and quality of medical care and rehabilitation following the break can really turn things around.
While average broken-bone recovery times of three to six months or even up to two years sound like a long time, following the advice of doctors and other medical professionals is always the best bet.
How We Manage the Healing of Broken Bones in the Elderly
If you have an elderly loved one who has broken a bone and needs short- or long-term medical care, Senior Health Care Solutions is fully prepared to offer each type of service.
At our rehabilitation centers in Pennsylvania, seniors can benefit from our quality rehab services that will help them regain their strength and ultimately recover from their broken bones.
Or, when a senior has broken a bone and needs a permanent or semi-permanent personal care residence, we are proud to offer that service, as well.
At all of our facilities, your loved one will have access to the best medical care for the healing of broken bones in the elderly.
Trust Senior Health Care Solutions with Elderly Bone Fracture Recovery
For an older person, the road back to health after suffering a broken bone may be a long one, but Senior Health Care Solutions is ready to meet your elderly family member’s needs.
The complications of broken bones in the elderly are nothing to take lightly, and our staff stands ready to help.
Contact Senior Health Care Solutions at any of our four Pennsylvania locations–including in Delaware Valley, Pottsville, Tower City, and Sayre–to learn more about how we can help you.
You can also reach out to info@seniorhealthpa.com or (570) 969-2188 to learn more.
