Your mom fell while going downstairs to the laundry room and put her arm out to catch herself. Unfortunately, this led to a broken collarbone. Her recovery is expected to take a lot of time. How can you and post-hospital care help her during her recovery?
What Happens During the Recovery Period?
It can take up to 12 weeks for a broken collarbone to fully heal. During that time, your mom is not allowed to use that arm. She’ll visit her orthopedist several times to assess the healing. She’s also going to need to work with a physical therapist to build strength and keep her shoulder joint from freezing up.
If your mom needed surgery, she’s going to need to take care of the incisions and make sure she takes pain medications as prescribed or recommended. Post-hospital care providers can ensure she doesn’t take too many pills through reminders of when she can take another.
She Has a Driver
Your mom cannot drive until her collarbone has healed. But, she has dozens of appointments coming up over the next few months. You cannot take that much time off work.
With post-hospital care, your mom’s appointments for the next few weeks are covered by the services she’s getting. Physical therapists may be able to come to her home and save her the trip. It gives you time to get arrangements in place.
Post-Hospital Care Services to Help Your Mom Keep Up Her Daily Routines
Your mom’s caregivers can help her keep up with the rest of her daily routines. Post-hospital care aides can clean her floors, wash dishes, wipe down counters, and cook meals. They can change the sheets and towels, do the laundry, and put clean clothes and linens away.
With your mom’s caregiver helping out, the trash and recycling still get picked up on time. Your mom’s plants get watered and she also has time to focus on her recovery and not feel that she’s neglecting her home.
Your Mom Has Home-Cooked Meals
Here’s another helpful service that keeps your mom from trying to use her arm. Her caregiver can cook meals for her. Your mom won’t have to eat microwavable meals day after day until she has her doctor’s approval to lift heavier pots.
If her doctors found that she has weak bones from osteopenia or osteoporosis, her post-hospital care aides can make sure her meals and snacks contain the calcium she needs. She’ll have the assistance she needs to heal her body with the right foods, too.
When you guarantee your mom has all of the support she needs after a fall, she’s going to avoid returning to the hospital or experiencing a second fall. Post-hospital care services like housekeeping, errand running, and personal care assistance are essential. Talk to an expert in post-hospital care to make the necessary arrangements.
