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Mom fell and broke her hip and pelvis in April 2013. She spent 3 mos in NH doing rehab. She came home that August and contd. the rehab with Care 1 coming in to her house. I live with her so she is not alone. After awhile she gave up and didn't want to try to walk with the walker, as her knees would buckle under. At a point, she just wouldn't try, as she didn't want to fall. The people from care one even acknowledged that they didn't think we could get her to try anymore. (Oh, also important, she is 96).She has a lot of arthritis, all over, and especially in her knees. Is it possible for her to work harder on exercize and be able to walk again? I don't want to give her false hope, but she is trying to use her legs more.

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At 96, her arthritis may just be so bad that walking is more than she can bear. It's amazing that she's survived the broken hip/pelvis this long. Declining after such a physical trauma is very common and death within a year is also not uncommon. I don't want to scare you, but am simply stating that she has been through a lot. She's obviously no wimp.

How far to force her is something to be decided between her, you, and professionals. You may want to seek a second opinion from a geriatrician. It would be good to get her to walk at least a little each day, if possible, but she may need to cut back. You want her healthy but you don’t want her miserable.

This is tough. Please let us know how you are doing.
Carol
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I will need to give this a lot of thought. My mother weighs about 95 lbs and hasn't done Any walking since last Oct. w/help And a walker. It did catch me off guard to think of her 'going' soon. She eats very well, (actually more than me) but doesn't gain weight. The main thing i'm thinking is that if the chances of her walking again are slim, then i don't think it would be the try if i consider one of the important , and that is what if she fell.

Thank you for your input.
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Hi Raindrop,
I'm glad she eats well. That in itself says she's doing quite well for her age. I agree that the chances of her walking unaided are probably zero and likely not wise. I was assuming that a walker would be involved.

Not falling again is top priority. You are very smart about that - and other things.

And I apologize if I set you back about the statistics, but the reality is that your mom's body has had a big trauma. While many elders don't survive such a trauma, many do and live quite a long time afterward. She could be one of them, particularly if there are no more falls. She sounds tough and you sound like a wonderful caregiver. I hope that she can live happily for a long time.
Carol
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