Taking steps to avoid a painful compression fracture - including hiring an in-home personal caregiver - can help your loved one maintain mobility, health, and quality of life.Ĭontact us today! Our home care coordinators are available to discuss your senior’s needs via a free home care consultation.The long-term effects of compression fractures can diminish the quality of life, resulting in: If your loved one needs additional support while recovering, our personal caregivers can pick up the slack and take care of the laundry, clean bathrooms and floors, and handle other light housekeeping duties. Our caregivers can help encourage your loved one to exercise at an appropriate level while monitoring them throughout their exercise sessions.įor some older adults, housekeeping activities may become too much to handle. Our in-home care specialists can help your loved one prepare healthy meals, purchase the right ingredients, and remind them to follow medically recommended diets.Ī proper activity level is important for maintaining bone health and reducing a senior’s risk. Maintaining a healthy diet is important for healthy bones. Our caregivers can help set up medication calendars and alarms, and inform your loved one when it is time to take a medication. Taking all prescribed medications and supplements can be difficult for older adults. Our in-home care providers are available to assess your loved one’s home for fall risks and assist as they move around their home or community. Even a mild fall can cause a compression fracture in an older adult with weaker bones. How Can In-Home Care Provide Assistance?Ī Visiting Angels’ senior care provider can also help your loved one take steps to avoid a compression fracture in many ways, including:įalls can lead to serious injuries in older adults. However, if problems persist or worsen, surgery may be an option. Treatment is usually conservative - a short period of bed rest along with physical therapy, pain medication, and spinal braces for most cases. If you suspect your loved one might be dealing with a vertebral compression fracture, speak with their primary care provider as soon as possible.Ī compression fracture can be treated to reduce symptoms and prevent complications. ![]() If your loved one has any of these conditions, stay on top of their treatment to decrease their risk. Low calcium intake or poor calcium absorption. ![]() Inactivity and/or poor balance or posture.How Can Seniors Avoid or Cope With Compression Fractures?Ĭonditions that reduce bone density or weaken the bones can increase the risk of a compression fracture, including: Deep vein thrombosis (dangerous blood clots).If untreated, compression fractures can impede a senior’s quality of life by leading to serious complications, including: Gradual loss of height and/or stooped posture.Limited spinal range of motion (bending or twisting the spine becomes difficult, painful, or impossible).New and sudden back pain that increases in intensity while upright and decrease while lying on the back.Symptoms in older adults may be misunderstood or ignored because of similarities to common conditions such as arthritis. ![]() Symptoms of Compression Fractures in Seniors Seniors with weak bones may develop compression fractures from everyday activities such as lifting a light object or simply sneezing. However, older adults – especially those with weak bones or osteoporosis – may be at higher risk from potential falls or accidents. The condition can occur in a healthy person’s spine due to extreme trauma. An estimated 25 percent of all post-menopausal women in the United States experience a compression fracture. What is a Compression Fracture?Ī compression fracture, or vertebral compression fracture, is a spinal injury that occurs when a crack or fracture develops in one or more bones that form the spine.Ĭompression fractures are most common among the elderly and women. If so, a “compression fracture” could be the nagging issue. Have you recently noticed a senior loved one moving around more slowly or suffering from debilitating back pain? Are they struggling to bend or twist their back or have they developed a stooped-over posture? How Do Compression Fractures Affect Seniors?
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