Why Seniors Should Start Moving Immediately After A Hospital Stay

When seniors come home after a hospital stay, they often still have some healing left to do. But doctors and caregivers that are there to provide post-hospital care often will tells seniors and their families that seniors need to get up and start moving around right away after they get home. During the period of post-hospital care it’s common for caregivers to work on physical therapy exercises with seniors and help them get up to walk themselves to the bathroom, or just walk around the house a few times each day. There are very good reasons why seniors need to start getting up and walking even if they aren’t fully healed when they first come home. Some of those reasons are:

To Prevent Blood Clots

When seniors spend a lot of time in bed that raises their risk of developing a blood clot. Blood cots are a serious danger for seniors. If a blood clot breaks loose and travels to the brain it can cause a stroke. Blood clots can also cause heart attacks. Seniors who were in the hospital because of a heart attack or a stroke have a high risk of having another one. So seniors need to be walking and standing as much as they are able to after a hospital stay to keep their blood flowing and reduce the risk of developing blood clots.

To Prevent Muscle Mass Loss

When seniors aren’t walking much because they have been in the hospital this can accelerate the loss of muscle mass in their legs and in their abdominal area. Losing muscle mass can impact a senior’s ability to bear their own weight and to get around easily. There is also an increased risk of developing fat to make up for the loss of that muscle. When seniors gain weight in the hospital it’s usually due to the loss of muscle mass and not overeating. When seniors come home they need to get up and move around so that they can retain their muscle mass and stay strong.

To Improve Circulation and Promote Healing

Having good circulation is important for preventing blood clots. But good circulation is also critically important to help heal wounds like surgical incisions. When seniors have good circulation and their blood is flowing the way it should the rich oxygenated blood pumped by the heart will travel throughout the whole body exchanging that healthy blood for cell waste that needs to be removed. Healthy cells will help repair injuries like incisions or other wounds. And it will also help prevent the loss of limbs in seniors with diabetes.

To Help Seniors Keep Their Mobility

Seniors need to move around to keep their mobility. When seniors come home from the hospital the post-hospital care they get can make a big difference in whether or not they get their mobility back. And for seniors aging in place being mobile and being able to live comfortably on their highest priorities.