Follow
Share

My Dad fell and broke his hip last week. We decided on surgery since he was a good candidate. We had to take him off hospice care for the surgery as the broken hip was considered a result of his dementia, which is his hospice-admitting diagnosis. Dad ended up getting a new ball and socket in his hip, as part of the hip bone had broken off rather than the hip sustaining a fracture. He was released from the hospital yesterday and re-admitted to hospice care (God Bless the folks who are part of hospice, they spent their entire Sunday afternoon getting this done!). His first day back was spent sleeping, which left us quite worried, but today he was awake, ate well and told us he needed to stand up! (The hospital staff only ever got him moved between the bed and a chair a couple of times, never had him walking, which I thought they had to do before releasing a patient?). Tomorrow one of the aides is going to get him up and into a chair and they'll begin some light therapy (we opted out of sending him to a rehab place because we didn't feel he'd get any better "therapy" than he does at his nursing home and with his cognitive problems a rehab place wouldn't have kept him around long!). We are very optimistic about Daddy's chances at a good recovery. Has anyone else (probably a stupid question!) gone through this experience, and if so, how did your loved one cope?

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

26 Answers

Most
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First
My FIL suffered from Alzheimer's for 10 years before he passed away. Early on he required abdominal surgery and went through that quite well. The good thing about the disease was that he didn't remember that he had surgery and never seemed aware of any pain. Of course vitals were monitored so that he was given pain meds prior to any major discomfort. About a year before he passed, he fractured a hip and did quite well. I don't know the type of fracture, but it was decided not to operate. He, once again, never complained of pain. The staff was able to get him to a chair many times daily, but he needed total assistance.
I am optimistic about your daddy's chances at a good recovery if he does as well as my father in law. Yours having had surgery to repair the break makes me even more optimistic. All the best to you and your dad.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report
Thanks for your reply. I think Dad will be doing well (hopefully, you just never know). The staff used a lift to get him out of bed and into a chair today. That was at 7:45 this morning. He was still in it when we got there to visit at about 10:30, outside his room in a small area with a TV. A visiting student nurse was helping him eat some jello and a small thickened milk drink. He was nibbling on both but seemed tired. Being a little active, along with having his Seroquel with breakfast, I'm sure made him sleepy. He also had his "regular" clothes on, instead of the gown he'd been in for a week, so getting into them was probably a trial! But he was glad to see us. He was going to be taken to the dining room for lunch after we left, so he'd be back with his "people"! I think that will help. Hopefully they'll have him on his feet a little bit over the next few days.

I'm curious as to why my post didn't end up in the Alzheimer's & Dementia category as I selected and where I normally post. Oh well . . .
Helpful Answer (3)
Report
My brother-in-law broke his hip last April on Easter Monday. He did get up and walk eventually and it did heal nicely. However he went downhill starting in about July. I read statistics in AARP Magazine. It said that very few seniors survive after a broken hip for more than a year. But since he has dementia, it would be a natural progression. Just treasure your time with him for now. Hopefully he will be the small percentage that survives. Sadly, we lost my brother-in-law, who had Alzheimer's, in December. We miss him a lot but are so happy that he is in Heaven now, and has no more pain. And his brain is restored! He is normal again! God Bless.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report
My mom had dementia and broke her hip. She was operated on and sent to rehab for 28 days. It seems that Medicare only pays for 28 days. If the patient isn't progressing, they're either sent home or to a nursing home. She refused to even try to do therapy. She screamed in what we thought was pain, but as soon as she was left alone the pain magically disappeared. I believe it was the dementia, but she was kept in the home as an inpatient, rather than a rehab patient. My dad paid out of his pocket for over 2 years for her care in the nursing home. She passed away from a triple A, which we knew she had for over 2 years. The doctor wanted to operate on it, but I refused. Since she had dementia and wouldn't even try to walk, I couldn't see putting her through the surgery. Back to the hip surgery, I believe that the anesthesia helped to move the dementia along, but you can't have her crying in pain with a broken hip. I believe the articles that say a dementia patient doesn't last very long after hip surgery is correct. I didn't agree with the Medicare decision to only allow her 28 days in rehab, but now I see that it was correct on their part.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report
See if my mom had cancer and dementia, I would have opted to let the cancer take her. I can't see prolonging Alzheimer's. What is the purpose of having surgery and then sitting around waiting to die form AZ. I guess I sound cruel, but I think it is cruel to keep a person alive with Alzheimer's if their is an alternative. Sorry I don't mean to be mean!
Helpful Answer (2)
Report
To Lucy's mom: I worked in a hospital many years ago and it is a known fact that anesthesia in any senior patient will make the dementia worse! Or appear even if they have never had it before. And I agree that an Alzheimer's patient should not be put through the trauma of surgery! But for the broken hip, I think it has to be done. We had to do that and also to put in a feeding tube because he couldn't swallow, but he was still aware and capable of asking for the feeding tube. He wanted it so we did it. He only lived for 6months after that and his final diagnosis, cause of death, was malnutrition. So the feeding tube just didn't work! It only prolonged the inevitable. Looking back I don't know if we did the right thing, but he asked for it and he was very aware of what was going on. I guess you can't deny what a patient asks for!
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
My mom is 88 and in late moderate stage of vascular dementia. She fell 2 weeks ago and broke her left hip. They had two wait 2 days to do surgery, as she is on Plavix and aspirin, due to carotid arteries being blocked, which has caused multiple strokes and TIAS. She did well for first two days after surgery, but then, after being given dilaudid for pain, she slept all the time. She was released to NH with rehab. She was in a memory care unit prior to fall. She is not drinking nor eating hardly anything. She has a catheter, due to her bladder not functioning. They plan to remove catheter on Monday and do a void test and then see urologist next day. Her urine is very dark, due to lack of her drinking water. She has most definitely declined in mental capacity. She cannot feed herself or hold cup. Sometimes she forgets how to use straw. At my wits end. She refuses or will not help when given therapy.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
Worried child I am afraid I do not have any reassuring words for you.
Any kind of proceedure on the elderly takes a lot longer to recover from even without the complication of dementia.
Depending on her general health before the surgery the Drs could consider some form of supplemental feeding or at least rehydration to see if that jump starts her recovery. I would not consider that as a long term treatment because if she is actually begining her journey to the next life it will only add to her suffering. I think you are at the time when you can only prepare for the worst and hope for the best. As long as she is pain free, not distressed and has loving family at her side that is really the best you can do right now.
It is a very worrying and difficult time and no one wants to loose a loved one but it is very important for you to take care of yourself and if you can't eat at least use nourishing drinks.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
My mom is 83 and has some dementia. She fell at home and broke her pelvis in 2 places and has a back fracture. After she left the hospital with no surgurey, She went to a nursing home for skilled nursing abd rehab. She fell 4 times in a week because she kept forgetting she can't walk. Then she went wacko grim all the meds. they have her in there. Now she is in a behavioral psych. Unit to get the meds. straightend out. She only took 1 b.p. pill and a baby aspirin before the fall. Now she is on accept, namenda, remeron and lexapro! Whew! Seems like a lot. Still not walking and stuck in wheelchair and totally confused. Next of to a new nurseing home, hopefully without roaches. This is a long exhausting journey for all. Just wanted you to know that you are not alone. Dementia is awful. She just wants to go home.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
NYC2015, have you consulted with an expert to see what your mom might be entitled to benefit wise?

Most of my LO's fractures did not require surgery and I'm glad, because she was not a good candidate. I have known a couple of people who had dementia, who had surgery and none of them did well. They actually were not able to survive for long. I'm not sure why, except they seemed to just go downhill physically, after the surgery.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
See All Answers
This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

Recent Questions


Popular Questions


Related Questions

Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter