Call her physician and ask for a home care physical therapist to come to her home
and do an evaluation. This is free and covered under Medicare. Physical therapists
can:
- assess your home for safety hazards;
- do an evaluation on how your mother-in-law walks to see if there are some assistive
devices, like a walker or cane, that might help her;
- give her some exercises that could increase her balance and strength.
There are pads you can buy designed to protect the hips in case of a fall; I am
sure the physical therapist can tell you where to get them, or your local medical
supply store should carry them. Finally, I would consider an Adult Day Health program
where there is a physical therapist on staff. Your mother in law might go two to
three days each week and get exercises that will reinforce the training you got
at home.
Regardless of opportunities for help from a physical therapist, you should be checking
her house for inadequate lighting, loose rugs, electrical wires, dangerous stairs,
and other things in the home that may impact safety.
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