My DH aunt (97) had an immune compromised roommate. She was 70. Has had covid a couple of times and then RSV. When she was released from the hospital back to the NH she was kept in isolation across the hall from her normal room and from aunt. Seems in some patients the RSV can remain active for quiet awhile.
“People with RSV are contagious for three to eight days after exposure. But because their immune systems aren’t as good at eliminating the virus, some infants and others with weakened immune systems are contagious for as long as four weeks, even after they no longer have symptoms.” Yale Medicine
Her roommate had pneumonia and other issues two or three times since the RSV. She was hospitalized three times in the last couple of months and passed a week ago. She would have benefitted from hospice you would think but in her case, she may have gotten better care in the hospital. So hard to know. She wound up with sepsis, on a ventilator and dialysis shortly before her death.
I tried to get the RSV vaccine in December after learning I came close to being exposed at Thanksgiving. I was having allergies and was told to wait until I was completely clear of allergies. Told this both at the pharmacy and by my doctor. I was traveling during the holidays. DH and I both were ill most of January. RSV, perhaps. Just knew it wasn’t covid.
I hope the rehab is monitoring your Dad closely and he has a full recovery.
Lemonggirl20: Per the CDC - "RSV infections can be dangerous for certain adults. Each year, it is estimated that between 60,000-160,000 older adults in the United States are hospitalized and 6,000-10,000 die due to RSV infection. Adults at highest risk for severe RSV infection include:
Older adults Adults with chronic heart or lung disease Adults with weakened immune systems Adults with certain other underlying medical conditions Adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities"
*Remember that PT individual sessions per week aren't an 'end all-be all', but rather a tool to a) track progress, and b) give 'homework' movements (the word 'movement' is a lot nicer and less stressful than the word 'exercise'!) to do at home. I do hope that the movements are either lying down or sitting.
There are a lot of things to do. If you need ideas, Google Silver Sneakers chair movements. They'll give you ideas, as well as the PT sheets.
Doing them to 'his' type of music makes the movements a bit more bearable. Have him do them 1/2 time, i.e. if he's doing lying-down leg lifts, go up 4 counts, down 4 counts.
Songs at the beats per minute of around 90-119 that should be used can include (sing them to yourself): 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin (116) 'Down On The Corner' by Creedence (109) 'All Along The Watchtower' by Jimi Hendrix (118) 'Soul Man' by Sam and Dave (113) 'Magic Carpet Ride' by Steppenwolf (111)
Shoot, you can do them seated next to him! As I used to say in my various aerobics classes (including teaching the Silver Sneakers/chair fitness classes, doing personal training, plus myself recovering from a right hip replacement and a left knee replacement), 'Misery loves company'.
*With the RSV, fluids and rest are the chosen recovery modes.
For coughing and mucus, a cool-mist inhaler could help.
Adults with mild RSV illness can use home remedies like honey and over-the-counter cough and cold medications to relieve symptoms.
RSV can require isolation but not remaining in the hospital. My fear is that he will miss days of actual rehab. Watch closely towards the last week of scheduled rehab because Medicare will stop paying 100%. If he is not ready to be on his own and you can see this progression the week before then consider requesting that he remains longer, but the increased cost from day 21 to up to 100 will cost about $180 per day or the cost of assisted living depending on the 2024 costs found in his Medicare plan. It is better to let the social worker know early about if there are no plans for continuing care after discharge. If you feel that he will need assisted living, consider carepatrol.com that can help you with the search. You are out of work so be prepared to do this around his date of discharge and make that hour long trip.
My 85-year-old wife, who was walking normally (although more of a shuffle than a walk), fell, broke her hip and never did recover from the surgery. She can barely walk short distances now, even with the help of a walker. And she also is beginning to have cognitive issues. From living at home, to living in an assisted care home in one month. At $4300 per month, we are going through our life's savings. So, whatever the issues, it could be worse.
Does your SD have any dementia or memory impairment? If so I would keep on top of whether he is eating and drinking enough. My 100-yr old Aunt (with dementia) fell in her home and broke her hip. My family had to go daily to make sure she was cooperating with PT and getting enough nourishment. She wouldn't keep an IV in so family brought her food and encouraged her to eat and drink.
As others have suggested, keep an eye out for delirium or cognitive lag caused by anesthesia and the change in his routine and venue. Also keep an eye out for UTI if he was catheterized at all.
RSV is a nasty respiratory infection so watching for fever and pneumonia will be important.
It will also have to do with his age and his health before the hip surgery. Its easier for a healthy 70 yr old to bounce back then a 80/90 yr old with health problems. At 90 even seemingly healthy, a hip fracture is a shock to the body. You may find Dad a little "out of it" because of the anesthesia he received. It takes longer to leave the system with the elderly. There maybe some long-term memory loss. My Dad had that at 65 after valve and bypass surgery. The longer your under, the more memory could be lost.
The course will be dependent on any individual's condition and makeup. It really cannot be predicted. Most recover. Discuss this with the MD and that is the person who knows this particular patient's condition to sustain this well. Good luck.
My dad didn’t have hip replacement but did have multiple rounds of rehab after hospitalizations for various issues. A lot depends on how aggressive the PT is or isn’t and the level of cooperation of the person receiving it. With my dad, after each time we saw a new, slightly lower, level of functionality than before
Well hopefully you can expect a full and total recovery for him, as long as PT is working with him daily and getting him up walking even with his RSV. If they leave him just lying in his bed without any PT, you can probably expect him to become bedridden or at least wheelchair ridden. One needs to be up walking right after a hip replacement surgery if they want to return to some sort of normal, so make sure they have your step-dad up walking several times a day. Best wishes.
Infection increases confusion risk.
Both will increase falls risk.
Ask staff about fall preventative strategies.
A friend's parent fell, #hip, went to rehab, fell in rehab, #2nd hip, THEN commenced rehab again.
Hopefully he will recover well from RSV, then restart his PT & do well.
“People with RSV are contagious for three to eight days after exposure. But because their immune systems aren’t as good at eliminating the virus, some infants and others with weakened immune systems are contagious for as long as four weeks, even after they no longer have symptoms.”
Yale Medicine
Her roommate had pneumonia and other issues two or three times since the RSV. She was hospitalized three times in the last couple of months and passed a week ago. She would have benefitted from hospice you would think but in her case, she may have gotten better care in the hospital. So hard to know. She wound up with sepsis, on a ventilator and dialysis shortly before her death.
I tried to get the RSV vaccine in December after learning I came close to being exposed at Thanksgiving. I was having allergies and was told to wait until I was completely clear of allergies. Told this both at the pharmacy and by my doctor. I was traveling during the holidays. DH and I both were ill most of January. RSV, perhaps. Just knew it wasn’t covid.
I hope the rehab is monitoring your Dad closely and he has a full recovery.
Older adults
Adults with chronic heart or lung disease
Adults with weakened immune systems
Adults with certain other underlying medical conditions
Adults living in nursing homes or long-term care facilities"
Disclaimer: Not my authoring.
There are a lot of things to do. If you need ideas, Google Silver Sneakers chair movements. They'll give you ideas, as well as the PT sheets.
Doing them to 'his' type of music makes the movements a bit more bearable.
Have him do them 1/2 time, i.e. if he's doing lying-down leg lifts, go up 4 counts, down 4 counts.
Songs at the beats per minute of around 90-119 that should be used can include (sing them to yourself):
'Respect' by Aretha Franklin (116)
'Down On The Corner' by Creedence (109)
'All Along The Watchtower' by Jimi Hendrix (118)
'Soul Man' by Sam and Dave (113)
'Magic Carpet Ride' by Steppenwolf (111)
Shoot, you can do them seated next to him! As I used to say in my various aerobics classes (including teaching the Silver Sneakers/chair fitness classes, doing personal training, plus myself recovering from a right hip replacement and a left knee replacement), 'Misery loves company'.
*With the RSV, fluids and rest are the chosen recovery modes.
For coughing and mucus, a cool-mist inhaler could help.
Adults with mild RSV illness can use home remedies like honey and over-the-counter cough and cold medications to relieve symptoms.
I DO hope this helps!
As others have suggested, keep an eye out for delirium or cognitive lag caused by anesthesia and the change in his routine and venue. Also keep an eye out for UTI if he was catheterized at all.
RSV is a nasty respiratory infection so watching for fever and pneumonia will be important.
Your Dad has to do the therapy.
It really cannot be predicted. Most recover.
Discuss this with the MD and that is the person who knows this particular patient's condition to sustain this well. Good luck.
If they leave him just lying in his bed without any PT, you can probably expect him to become bedridden or at least wheelchair ridden.
One needs to be up walking right after a hip replacement surgery if they want to return to some sort of normal, so make sure they have your step-dad up walking several times a day.
Best wishes.