How To Prevent Hip Replacements

Unfortunately, senior citizens can suffer debilitating injuries as a result of falling. Injuries from unintentional falls cause over 33,000 deaths in the US every year. Seniors who are prone to falls are often the ones most at risk of then needing hip replacement surgery. To limit the damage from a fall, elderly people can use a medical alert system to get help right away.

A medical alert system is a reliable and affordable means to ensure the elderly can quickly get help when they need it. It’s a great emergency tool to have on hand. At the same time, like fire insurance that you hope you’ll never need to use, nobody ever actually wants to use their medical alert system. Here, we’ll discuss some of the ways a hip replacement might be prevented in the hopes of avoiding using one’s medical alert system in the first place.

What is a hip replacement?

As people age, their joints can wear down as a result of use. Often this leads to hip pain associated with arthritis leads to an unfortunate last option: surgery. Prosthetic implants alleviate hip pain and increase mobility, making life much more comfortable for many. People may even live longer after a hip replacement than they otherwise would.

During the hip replacement procedure, a doctor removes a painful joint in the pelvic region and substitutes it with an artificial one. Normally, this surgery is a last resort when there is no other way to treat pain. However, some other treatments or exercises can be tried first. Be sure to ask your medical professional before doing them.

Have routine eye checkups

As the body ages, some of its functionalities start to deteriorate as well. Those with life-long perfect eyesight will very likely experience deterioration as they age. Therefore, it’s of paramount importance that seniors get their eyes checked at least once a year after age 60. If a senior already uses glasses, he or she should visit their optometrist once a year to determine if they need updated lenses.

Another reason this is crucial is that falls often occur as a result of poor or distorted vision. Regular trips to the ophthalmologist can help avoid falls. A secondary result is that your elderly loved one will likely avoid pain and save money in the long run.

Enhance home safety

Another reason why people of all ages fall is that they trip over things. With compromised eyesight and slower reaction times due to age, your elderly parent is at greater risk of tripping. To make a senior’s home safer, remove things that he or she can trip on or trip over. These can include electricity cords and rugs. It’s also important to keep shoes and other items out of normal walking pathways.

Other home safety improvements involve avoiding bathroom falls. Seniors ages 65+ make up most of the 230,000 bathroom injuries in the US each year. Thus, installing grab bars in toilet areas or a shower is another easy fix to avoid falls. Grab bars can also be easily and cheaply installed in hallways and stairwells.

Do physical therapy

Physical therapy includes a variety of small exercises to help strengthen very specific areas of the body. Often they include props such as stretchy bands or light weights to help support joint strength and enhance general health as well as joint health.

Many older people have difficulty with their balance, which can quickly lead to falls. Physical therapy exercises are also good for improving balance, flexibility, and range of motion.

Exercise regularly

Staying idle and avoiding physical activity is bad for aging joints. This is because being inactive can lead to the loss of joint cartilage. It can also contribute to bone-on-bone contact, which is extremely painful. Regular exercise can help lubricate joints and avoid pain. It’s suggested to do a low-impact activity such as a stationary bike or walking at least 3 times a week.

Leg press machines can also be used to regain muscle strength and maintain the stability of the hip joint. It’s recommended to start with a very low-weight setting. As strength increases, move towards the higher settings. Lunges and hip adduction exercises are also good for strengthening the hips and legs to avoid falls and hip replacements.

Get help from medical alert systems

Your elderly parent or disabled neighbor is more likely to fall than the rest of us. Therefore, consider getting a medical alert system for them. There are a lot of medical alert systems reviews available online that help you find the best medical alert bracelet there is. These devices and systems are helpful for the elderly who live alone or who have no family or caretakers living nearby.

Most systems simply require your loved one to press a button on the life alert bracelet to connect to an emergency respondent. These people can offer you immediate help and/or guidance. By having a medical alert device available at their disposal at all times, seniors have two-way hands-free communication before matters get worse.

In the past, it may have been considered a financial challenge to bear the cost of a medical alert system. But with the help of well-researched life alert reviews, you can find a solution well within your budget, such as MobileHelp or LifeFone. By using these systems, serious hip injuries and eventually a hip replacement might be avoided.

Final word

A hip replacement is a painful and expensive surgery that should take place only if no other option is available. But there are some ways hip injuries can be prevented. These include taking some of the preventative measures discussed here. To promote increased life expectancy and help ensure a painless living for seniors, consider a medical alert system. The price is negligible considering how this type of system can prevent the expense and hardship of surgeries in the long term.