Discharged from hospital following surgery - fractured hip
6 months ago, we were contacted by a lady to ask if we could see her mum who had recently been discharged from hospital following surgery for a fractured hip. Her mum had previously been mobile around her home but since discharge she had only been able to transfer from bed to wheelchair. She really wanted some Physio to help improve her mum’s mobility.
The journey begins
And so our journey with Joyce started! She was the most incredible, motivated and mentally strong older person we have ever treated!
Joyce still lives in her own home and is supported by her family as well as a 24 hour carer.
When we first met Joyce, she was frustrated at feeling weak and dependent. Joyce was very clear about what she wanted to be able to do!
She wanted to be able to walk again, get out of the house, get to church, and be able to have a shower (she HATED having a strip wash!).
Together we set small goals and set about sessions twice a week to start building up her strength and function.
A great improvement
It was clear from the outset that Joyce was VERY motivated to carry out anything asked of her, and each week, it was obvious from the improvement in her abilities that she was carrying out her exercises in a very regimented way!!
Gradually she was able to increase the distance she could walk around her home, going from just transfers to then being able to walk from her bedroom into the lounge. Soon we were tackling a couple of steps as she knew if she could master doing these, she would then be able to get out of the house!
After only a few weeks we were sent a photo message on a Sunday afternoon of Joyce in the car with her son who was taking her out for a drive! She had done it! She had achieved her goal of getting out of the house and she was thrilled – and so were we.
This is the best part of our job – seeing how someone’s quality of life can be improved by being active and getting stronger.
From here there was no stopping Joyce! She continued to work hard at her exercises and next thing we knew, a weekly trip out to church on a Sunday was a regular outing for her. We also mastered her being able to use her much loved shower again (with help from her carers).
Midnight Jelly Babies
Joyce never ceases to amaze me. From her funny stories about her midnight snacks of Jelly Babies to her absolute dedication to her Physio exercises.
She is a true advert for the fact that it really is never too late to start exercising. Best of all, celebrated her 102nd birthday on the 10th of May with her family and will no doubt do a few more celebratory exercises – just because she can!
Joyce is a true inspiration and proof that anyone can start exercising at any age.
Movement is good for everyone. Joyce did everything at her own pace but she proved that incorporating movement into her daily routine helped improve her function.
She is a true testament to the fact that active exercise in the elderly helps to strengthen muscles, helps with coordination, and improves balance and function.
Joyce is now looking forward to seeing what she can achieve next! And so are we!
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