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My remembrances of my father always included his statement that he “had a bum leg”.  Apparently when I was just a baby, he was working for the timber board in Canada and had fallen on a boom of logs which caused him to break his back.  The medical solution at that time was to take a piece of his leg bone and graft it on to his back bone.  He was in a cast from neck to toe for almost a year.  It wasn’t a great fix and he continued to have difficulties with his leg until the day he died.  So when he came to live with me, mobility issues were a big concern, especially since I lived in a home with stairs both inside and leading into the home.

Because there are many other issues that can affect the mobility of our aging parents and loved ones, I went searching and I found this article by Anthony Fulworm. I thought that he had done an excellent job of pointing out some of the problems and solutions found when dealing with loved ones with mobility issues so I wanted to share it with you.

Immobility Problems and Solutions by Anthony Fulworm

Immobility can often become an issue for those who suffer from disabilities, illnesses or aging; it can also lead to further problems due to prolonged inactivity. When it comes to immobility, multiple areas of the body are often affected rather than just one area in particular. The effects of immobility effect people in different way, with disabilities sometimes areas cannot be improved but sometimes although they cannot be reversed they can be minimized and this is often the case with the elderly. By making small steps to concur immobility can have a very positive effect on reducing the risk of other complications.

The common risk factors of immobility in the elderly are categorised and bulleted below:

Musculature, joint, and skeleton problems
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Fractures (especially hip & femur)
• Podiatric problems

Neurological problems
• Stroke
• Parkinson’s disease
• Cerebellar dysfunction
• Neuropathies

Heart, lung, and circulation problems
• Chronic coronary heart disease
• Chronic obstructive lung disease
• Severe heart failure
• Peripheral vascular disease

Cognitive, psychological and sensory problems
• Dementia
• Depression
• Fear and anxiety
• Pain
• Impaired vision

Others
• General weakness after prolonged bed rest
• Malnutrition
• Drug side effects
• Severe illness of any type
• Inadequate aids for mobility

To alleviate these problems the following activities should be performed:
• Firstly continuing with daily activities is important, having a routine that your body is used to will prevent your body deteriorating. If tasks become too exhausting however these should be dropped or replaced.
• Increase the level of exercises starting small and increasing gradually. These exercises will help with circulation to keep your heart working well and promote repair healing and where possible growth. Daily exercises
• As well as exercising the muscles in your body stretching those muscles will help reduce the risk of injury from every day activities and again aid in healing and repairing muscles.
• Eating and drinking correctly is important but with increased activity drinking more water is important, ensure you are rehydrated adequately.
• Maintain contact with others to stimulate your mind and body, often being by yourself can lead to a lonely lifestyle with little to no interaction with others, this does not promote positivity very well.
• If certain activities are difficult or uncomfortable consider using aids to help, walking frames, wheelchairs, walking sticks, ankle support, heel pads. There are many products on the market to help getting around.
• Bathing and getting around the home can be difficult if you suffer from immobility, consider purchasing hand rails or installing a stair lift ( http://www.brooksstairlifts.co.uk/ ).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/


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