When people hear about someone having a meniscus tear, they often think of watching a sports game like football and seeing a player injure his knee during a game by having his knee turn one way while his foot is planted in another direction. However, meniscus tears are also common among the elderly. For seniors, the injury often occurs after years of normal wear and tear that weakens the meniscus. Depending on the treatment of this condition, 24-hour home care services could be called in to help with the recovery process.
Symptoms of a Meniscus Tear
The meniscus is a C-shaped pad of cartilage in the knee that acts as a shock absorber. Each knee has two of them and they protect the lower part of the leg from the shocks created by moving and sustaining the weight above them. When an injury causes a meniscus tear, the pain is usually instant and the cause is known, but for your elderly loved one, the pain may simply get worse over time, and he might not know when the actual moment was that he tore his meniscus.
Common symptoms of a meniscus tear include:
- An inability to use the full range of the knee
- Pain that gets worse when the knee is straightened
- Stiffness and swelling around the knee joint
- Noises like clicking coming from the knee area when it’s moved around
- The knee locks up when your loved one tries to move it
- Weaker knees that cannot provide support when changing elevations such as going up or down stairs
Treatment Options for a Meniscus Tear
Treatment will be determined by how bad the tear is and how often it occurs. For a mild tear, your loved one should be able to ice the area and rest while taking some pain relievers as it heals on its own. He might find that wearing a knee brace can help after the injury as well as prevent other future injuries, especially if he has a lot of walking on his schedule.
For others, surgery might be the best option to fully repair the area and prevent further damage. Your loved one’s rehabilitation from surgery can range from three or four weeks up to three months.
Recovery After Surgery
If your loved one needs surgery for his injury, the surgery is usually simple and straight forward but you will want to have plans to help him recuperate after the surgery. There may be things he cannot do at home for a while and if he lives in a home with multiple levels, he will need to make some temporary alterations to help him recover safely in his home.
Having a 24-hour home care team as a part of his recovery plan is a great option if family or friends are unable to stay with your loved one. A 24-hour home care provider will be in the home with him at all hours but they do not live with your elderly loved one. Instead, they work in shifts so someone is always awake and ready to help when your loved one needs it. They can help with middle-of-the-night bathroom visits, walking his beloved dog, or helping him down the stairs to get to another room. Since he may not be able to drive either, a 24-hour home care team can also help with his transportation needs he might have for follow-up appointments and physical therapy.
If you or an aging loved one are considering 24-Hour Home Care Services in Laguna Beach CA, please call the caring staff at Canaan Home Care today! 1-844-CANAAN-1 (1-844-226-2261)
Canaan Home Care – A Premier Provider of Senior Home Care in the La Jolla, Del Mar, San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Tustin, and Manhattan Beach areas.
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