Perhaps your grandmother is drinking less water and becoming dehydrated because she is finding it difficult to get up from her favorite chair. Our elders are choosing not to move mostly because of the difficulty standing up from a seated position.
Have you noticed your grandparents taking longer time than usual to stand up from the chair?
Aged patients have difficulty to move out of bed or sofa, for the following:
- Joint stiffness due to prolonged periods of sitting.
- Different joint pathologies or trauma causing weakness.
- Weakness of any of the muscles group involved – the hip flexors, Hip extensors, Trunk extensors, Knee extensors, to push the body up from sitting level to standing
- They start to stand by increase axial force to trunk extensors.
- Patients with diseases like Parkinson’s, Stroke, brain tumours where paralysis is present.
- Balance issues due to age.
- Post recent hospitalization or surgeries like Knee or Hip replacement, fractures.
- Fear of fall.
Ergonomic corrections can begin at home.
Begin with inspecting their chair or sofa or level of bed.
When your grandparent is sitting on the bed or chair, do you notice if their knees are higher than the hips? If so, adjustments can be made by increasing the height of the chair to ensure they are sitting in 90 – 90 position. This will help them to minimize muscle force to do standing.
Train them to do lean forward trunk movement during standing so it will eliminate forces to trunk extensor muscles.
This suggestion is applicable for elderly, Parkinson’s, stroke patients.
Patients who are independent should clasp their hands, straighten the elbows up to shoulder level, lean forward and then push themselves up into standing.
Patient who have walker or assistive device, they could use arm power to do push up and forward trunk.
If elderly having these difficulties, you can consult 800Physio(800749746) physical therapist. Our Physical therapist can help strengthening, stretching exercises, for thigh, arm power, core muscles, spinal mobility exercises, Balance and co-ordination exercises.
Book Home Physiotherapy Service Now. For More Details Contact Us.