Up to 450,000 people in the United States (US) live with spinal cord injuries; each year, 17,000 people in the US are added to this group. Among the elderly, falls are by far the most common cause of spinal cord injury (SCI), while other traumatic events like motor accidents are more common in younger persons.
Regardless depending on how high up the injury is, those recovering from such injuries face a range of challenges, including
- Immobility
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
- Pressure ulcers
- Depression
Luckily, if you’re in Dallas, you can hire 24/7 caregivers from Porter Home Health Services to help your loved one thrive. Here are some of the things you can do to help along the journey to recovery.
Physical Assistance
In the immediate period following a spinal cord injury, your loved one might need help performing previously simple activities like getting out of bed or using the toilet. This can be quite embarrassing or depressing, and you need to be kind and respect their autonomy while doing your best to assist them. Porter Home Health Service provides mobility assistance along with toileting and incontinence care because we understand our clients’ struggles.
Transportation and Support
Following an SCI, no one is 100% sure what extent of recovery will be achieved. In the event an elderly loved one can still regain the ability to walk following a fall, they will need to be transported for physical therapy sessions and other appointments. However, it’s also important to remember that when seniors fall, they are often scared of falling again, and that anxiety slows down their recovery.
That is why your loved one needs to be transported to all their therapy sessions and given emotional support all through their journey. This all can be a lot, our caregivers can provide transportation and companion services to our clients to help make things easier.
Homemaker and Personal Care
Just under half of the people recovering from SCI are senior citizens, which can pose many challenges right from postoperative care. Senior citizens tend to have pre-existing medical conditions from before their injuries, so you need to manage those conditions along with the SCI.
They might require help with meal preparation, reminders to take their medication, housekeeping, and other aspects of around-the-clock care.
We at Porter Home Health Services can help with all these. Contact us now to get started.
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