New studies show just how serious a fractured bone can be in the elderly. When a bone is broken, pain goes far beyond the area that was injured, and can affect the entire body. The pain can be widespread, and it can become chronic later in life, stressing the importance of protecting our elderly loved ones. A wide number of issues were looked at besides fractures, including diet, body type, lifestyle, and psychological health. Of all of these, fractures had a prominent place in determining chronic pain later in life.
A new study from the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton looked at both men and women that had had a spinal fracture and women that had fractured a hip were about twice as likely to suffer widespread chronic pain later in their lives. Other fractures were considered, but these were the two that had the biggest impact later on. The study was conducted in the UK, and about 500,000 men and women between the ages of 40 and 69 were looked at in order to see what the relationship between fractures and chronic pain were. Not only was chronic pain more prevalent, it was not confined to just the injured area. This sheds light on why so many people might have inexplicable chronic pain when they are elderly, and it stresses the importance of keeping our families as safe as possible–especially the older generation.
Because of a various assortment of physical conditions, the older population is at a higher risk of fractures than others. Things like osteoporosis, balance issues, and impaired cognitive functioning can all lead to falls, and this in turn can lead to injuries and broken bones. If you’re loved one is starting to show signs of struggling around the house, it is important that you act before it is too late. There’s a good chance that when an in-home caregiver is in the house helping out the odds of a fall will be reduced.
And if a fall ever does occur, a fully trained caregiver will now immediately what to do without hesitation. The training and the experience of the caregiver you hire are such an important part of your loved one’s health and safety, and this is one of the big reasons why it is recommended that you go through a service, and not an individual caregiver. Individuals can be highly trained, but there’s no easy way to guarantee this beforehand. With a service provider, you don’t have to worry about this because their employer has already trained and vouched for them. Having an insured caregiver is an even bigger bonus here.
Hopefully, by reducing the number of broken bones in the elderly, the quality of their lives can be improved. This is a tall order, but when extra supervision is given, it becomes far more realistic to manage. In-home care is a great way to introduce this in your own home and help your loved ones all without causing any disruptions to your family’s lifestyle.
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