How To Help Aging Parents Recover From Accidents and Injuries

Aging brings with it a variety of challenges that compromise health. At Kapok, we’ve most often focused on health conditions and challenges that are specific to aging.

However, accidents and subsequent injuries can also lead to considerable issues.

Injuries from falls are especially concerning for seniors. Even a fall that doesn’t cause physical harm can lower a senior’s confidence, potentially leading to less activity and decreased mobility over time.

Thankfully, adult children can help aging parents in their recovery journey. With the right approach and enough support, recovery can be smoother, with more positive outcomes. In this post, we will explore essential ways to help elderly loved ones thrive after unexpected events, ensuring their quality of life and overall happiness.

Ways to Help Aging Parents Recover

Respond Quickly

The first and most vital step in the recovery process is to provide attention and care as soon as possible. Even seemingly minor incidents may have underlying complications best identified by medical professionals.

Remember that seniors often have multiple health conditions that can interact with each other. Medications play a role too. For example, blood thinners can make people more susceptible to bleeding, which can lead to increased blood loss or even internal bleeding.

As such, prompt medical intervention improves the chances of a full recovery and also protects against potential complications.

Adult children can play a key role here, by encouraging the senior to seek medical attention. You may even go with the senior to help them feel more at ease.

If the senior is convinced they don’t need help, try suggesting it would make you feel better if they see a doctor anyway. Some aging parents will see a professional for your sake, even if they won’t do so for themselves.

Be Sensitive

Sensitivity is always important.

This is doubly true for accidents and injuries, as they can make seniors feel scared or unsure. It often helps if you speak in a calm and reassuring voice, and take the time to listen to any fears.

Remember too that a person’s recovery journey might not look like you expect. Sometimes an injury might take longer to heal than expected, especially if the senior is taking medication or has a chronic condition.

People also have their own ways of responding to injury. Some seniors may focus on resting, perhaps even resting for longer than their body needs. Others might take the opposite approach, where they keep trying to get up and move, despite their injuries.

While you can’t force someone to rest when they don’t want to, there’s power in being kind and compassionate. Most people will respond best to this approach, instead of being told what they should and shouldn’t do.

Look for Personalized Approaches

People vary considerably, with differences in health conditions, histories, medications, metabolism, and plenty of other areas. Because of this, healthcare and rehabilitation should be matched to the senior’s specific needs.

The specific type of accident or injury will have an impact on rehabilitation as well. For example, physical therapy will often target specific muscles and help with areas that need improvement, like balance and flexibility.

Recovery approaches are also likely to vary over time. Often, this will mean that the senior initially needs to rest while their body heals from an injury. After some healing, they may then be able to start moving more and gently practicing rehabilitation exercises.

A specialist may be involved too, such as a chiropractor who has specialized knowledge in musculoskeletal health, making them adept at identifying and treating issues related to the spine and joints. By using gentle adjustments and therapeutic techniques, chiropractors can decrease pain and inflammation, while improving joint function. Caregivers may consider working with a chiropractor like St. Paul or looking for someone in their local area.

Make Safe Home Adjustments

It’s easy to forget just how hazardous the home can be. There are millions of accidents in American homes every year and seniors are especially vulnerable due to decreased eyesight and mobility challenges.

The recovery period increases vulnerability, as the senior could easily have another accident before they’ve recovered from the first.

Home adjustments are often essential for fostering a safe and supportive home environment. Important approaches include installing handrails in hallways and bathrooms, eliminating trip hazards, and ensuring proper lighting. If the senior has a mobility aid, you may need to rearrange furniture to ensure they can move around easily.

Focus on a Healthy Diet

The food we eat has noticeable impacts on health, with a good diet helping to speed up the recovery process. This includes making sure the senior is getting enough vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and antioxidants from their diet.

Think about the amount of calories and fat as well. Consuming too many calories could lead to weight gain and won’t help recovery at all. The senior’s doctor should be able to advise you about the ideal calorie intake for the senior.  

Don’t forget about hydration. Seniors can easily end up dehydrated, which can then lead to a variety of health issues.   

Adult children can assist by planning and preparing nutritious meals. Or, if you don’t have the time, perhaps consider a meal delivery service. Even just getting groceries delivered could be very beneficial. There are plenty of options to ensure that seniors always eat well.

Regular communication and reminders can be helpful as well. You can also ask the senior which areas they find the most difficult. Then, you can work together to find solutions. 

Provide Encouragement

Accidents can have significant effects on a person’s mental and emotional health, especially if recovery takes a while. Feelings of frustration, helplessness, and anxiety are common during this time. The senior may even experience regular low moods or start to despair.

Adult children can help by providing ongoing emotional support and encouragement. Regular visits, phone calls, and video chats can lift the senior’s spirits and remind them that they’re not alone in their recovery journey.

Engaging them in enjoyable activities and connecting them with social support networks can also combat feelings of isolation and promote better mental health.

Consider Extra Professional Support

Some seniors may need additional sources of support. This could come from their adult children or you might look for professional help instead.

Hiring a professional caregiver is one useful approach. Such caregivers are trained to provide specialized care and have plenty of skills on hand. Some may even focus on senior care or on helping people to recover from injury.

Professional caregivers can help with a variety of tasks, including daily activities, medication management, bathing, and more.

Moreover, hiring a caregiver can offer respite to adult children. Such caregivers give you the chance to rest and focus on other important areas of your life. Doing so reduces the risk of burnout and helps you support your loved one for longer.

Do Your Research

Finally, it’s important to research the senior’s health issues and ask plenty of questions. Doing so will give you a sense of what to expect, including how long recovery is likely to take and whether full recovery is realistic.

This research is powerful, as it’s easy to have unrealistic expectations of the recovery journey. Knowing what to expect helps you be more pragmatic and may influence some of the caregiving decisions you make.

Final Thoughts

With wisdom and support, you can help aging family members recover from accidents and injuries. Doing so includes ensuring early care, focusing on personalized approaches, promoting a healthy diet, and providing encouragement along the way.

Such approaches apply in other situations as well, like for people with a chronic disease or even those struggling with mental health issues.

Perhaps the most important thing is to simply be there for your loved one – in whatever capacity they need you. Sometimes it’s powerful to simply have someone alongside who cares about you and what you’re dealing with.