A recent study found that one in eight seniors–more than ten percent–that have back surgery end up back in the hospital for more treatment within a month or less. Over the course of six months after release, more than one in four find themselves back in the hospital.
Unfortunately, this risk of re-hospitalization is even higher for those seniors that suffer from dementia or are already medically frail prior to their initial surgery.
There’s always a risk associated with major surgery. However, for seniors, this risk can become amplified. If this risk isn’t taken into account by the person receiving the surgery and their team, there’s a chance that complications from the surgery can do more harm than the good that the surgery was supposed to accomplish.
This research was conducted by a team of researchers that specialized in geriatric medicine from Yale University. Their findings led them to question whether some of these surgeries were actually necessary. The concern was that surgery sometimes seemed to create more problems than it solved. Unfortunately, surgery isn’t always present to patients this way. The team recommended a more serious consideration of the necessity of a procedure prior to going through it.
They published their findings in JAMA Network Open. There’s always more research that needs to be done when it comes to medical progress, but hopefully this helps to steer future researchers in a better direction. There’s a lot to take away from this when it comes to improving the quality of life that seniors experience.
Sometimes, surgery is absolutely the best idea. Sometimes, it can do more harm than good. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know what the right answer is. Working closely with your doctor and ensuring that you are thinking about surgery from multiple points of view is important. It will help you to make the best decision, both for the immediate needs surgery is supposed to address and your long term quality of life.
There are other things that can help improve quality of life besides surgery. Senior care is one of those things that can have a profound impact on the quality of life that someone experiences. Finding the right care–the kind of care that fits best with your life–is important. It’s the difference between getting by when things are difficult and thriving in spite of tough times. There will be setbacks as we age–such as the need for surgery. But that doesn’t mean that you should receive subpar care as a result. Good care is out there.
We’re here to help. If you have questions about care, let us know. One of our professional caregivers would be happy to help answer your questions. We can’t give you guidance on whether surgery is the right move for you or not–we’re not doctors. However, we can walk you through how care can help you get the assistance and support that you need as you age. We can go over your unique situation and show how care might fit in with it.
Call us to talk more.
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