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broken hip and pelivs - recovery for someone in their 80's

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Artaylar Sat 17-Apr-21 14:53:13

My ex MiL, with whom I have always been close, had a fall a couple of weeks ago, when outside and walking her dog. The advice/hospital communication given to her family comes across as being pretty incoherant and disjointed but the 2 main diagnoses seem to have been a broken pelvis and hip, and also advanced dementia.

My ex got in touch with me this week to let me know. I rang ex MiL yesterday expecting either no pick up of the call, or a conversation with a bed bound person who was extremely confused.

Turns out that mental capacity wise ex MiL was perfectly capaable of having a conversation about what had happened to her, and that she had been discharged back home to a little bungalow. There looks to be a short term re-ablement care package in place and that any longer term care needs will be subject to a financial assessment.

And far from being bed bound, ex MiL was able to get to the loo on her own (with a zimmer) and slowly move around her bungalow.

My ex has no experience of social care and he is in a bit of a state so I'm providing whatever support on this score - I live 200 miles away, though am willing to travel over to be present at any future care assessments, if ex MiL wants me to. I am also putting together a bit of a plan this weekend aimed at getting a clear story from the NHS, will probably use the PALS service to try and acheive this.

My question is (got to it eventually) has anyone got any experience of the likliehood/ extent of recovery of someone in their 80's from pelvis / hip breakage. To my knowledge so far, no surgery has taken place, and I am not sure whether any rehab was provided in the hospital and/or whether there are any plans to provide rehab now that this lovely lady is back at home.

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Oopsadaisy1 Sat 17-Apr-21 15:42:04

My MIL was in her 90s when she fell and broke her Pelvis in 2 places, once she got going on the walking frame she was fine, stairlift was fitted so she could go upstairs.
Sadly just afterwards she was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, but you still wouldn’t want to get between her and the lunch table at the Nursing Home, she would run you over! So physically she recovered well and quite quickly.

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trisher Sat 17-Apr-21 16:01:41

I'm not sure who has given you the info but my mum broke her pelvis aged 95. We were told that had it been a hip she would have had surgery immediately, but a pelvis cannot be operated on due to the complicated blood supply/muscle connections involved. So I do wonder if the hip diagnosis is correct. Mum was hospitalised for a longtime after the break and never really recovered, which sounds very different to your MIL. I'd ask your MIL to give you permission to speak to the consultant or senior nurse who was responsible for her diagnosis and discharge from hospital. She'd probably need to ring them to do so. Then I'd ask the short term care team for their assessments and ask what physio/rehabilitation treatment she is receiving and what treatment for her dementia. The dementia diagnosis might have been given when she was suffering the after shock from a fall. She needs a proper assessment at home- her GP might have to do it. Hope she recovers fully and things go well.

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