If you Google “percentage of people who die within a year after a major fall,” various sites will tell you that when someone over the age of 65 falls and breaks a hip, about 25%-30% of them die within a year. Of course, plenty of these people might be octogenarians or older.
Fortunately, my Dad is only 62. Unfortunately, he’s in the hospital right now.
Prayers for my parents would be appreciated.
Note: a nurse at the hospital was the one who presented my mother with the statistic listed above. Nice, huh? Let’s focus on the worst case scenario, eh?
Additional note: I am more prepared to face my own death than I am ready to face the death of my parents. And I am definitely not ready to think of my dad as an old man who falls and breaks a hip.
Reit This Way 
Even if they are old, they still have a good prognosis. My grandmother fell and broke her arm 10 years ago and she is now almost 87. Of course she is the poster child of the phrase, “too mean to die.” She has lived through a pulmonary embolism, bladder cancer, 2 bouts of breast cancer, and is just recovering from colon cancer. (she is very sweet to me, but she is meaner than dirt if you don’t do what she wants)You can count on many prayers for your dad from our quarter.
Michelle,My grandmother fell and broke her hip two years ago. She was 96. Health wise she is doing better today than she was before her fall. Her spirits also improved and it was like she got a new lease on life.Can’t explain it. Don’t you just hate statistics and nurses with bad bedside manner!Prayers being sent your parents way!Blessings,Maurisa
My husband’s Grandma is in her early to mid-seventies and has fallen and broken both hips (at separate times) on top of other serious medical conditions and she’s still going. I’m sure your dad will be fine and we’ll add him to your prayers. That nurse should be fired. I thought they’re supposed to give people some hope!
As a former physical therapist, I can say that if your dad is in over all good health, he will do just fine. I rarely saw people in that age bracket decline from a fall unless they were already declining (past stroke or degenerative disease process). Some nurses can be very pessimistic. Tell your mom to talk to the PT. They are all about optimism, by and large. Blessings and prayers!
What a lovely, lovely nurse. I’d like to…well, nevermind. Call if you want to talk. We’ve been talking to mom this morning already, trying to give as much support as we can l/d. xo
Some folks are so “nice”, huh? You all have my prayers. Hang in there and be POSITIVE. Tell that nurse to go stuff a chaise lounge.
Maybe the nurse said that because your dad was so clearly NOT in that catagory, she was just pointing out how things could have been worse. Still, sometimes you just want to say, “Did you know you actually said that out loud?”Praying for your parents!
gotta love that bedside manner!prayers being saidr
Michelle, prayers….keep us updated. I’d like to give that nurse a piece of my mind, and a small class in bedside manners…sheesh.
Michelle, my prayers are with you, your dad, and your family.I shamelessly ask for prayers in return for my 87-year-old grandma. 🙂 She’s amazingly strong, but she just ended up in the hospital with shortness of breath. Nothing too serious, but she’s supposed to be coming to GA for Christmas and we’re praying she’ll get her strength back. I miss my nana.Blessings,Kate
My husband’s grandmother was one of those statistics, but let me assure you that her death really had nothing to do with her fall. It was her temperament that caused her to deteriorate. She decided not to get better. I suspect that this is the reason for the vast majority of these cases. There was most likely some depression present.Then there is my grandmother (hard headed as they come). She fell off of her roof at age 72 (trying to clean out her own gutters) and broke her leg. She recovered in no time!
Lord have Mercy, Lord have Mercy, Lord have Mercy, and a big hug to you.(nice bedside manner, that – rolls eyes)
Love that bedside manner!!Wishing your dad a speedy & complete *& uncomplicated* recovery! I will be praying!
Praying for you and your family, Michelle!
Oh I do hope he gets better soon! Will pray. My stats…well try not to pay too much head to them. According to some article I read I have a 40% chance of passing in the next 10 years because of that blood clot I had. Blech! If anything, the stat motivates me to ensure I get out and do what I need to do to stay healthy. So, it just depends upon how you view them, and if you allow it to motivate you…or get you down.
Prayers for you and your family…Memorare, o piisima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia esse derelicta. Nos tali animati confidentia ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, currimus; ad te venimus; coram te gementes peccatores assistimus. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba nostra despicere, sed audi propitia et exaudi. R. Amen.
Praying Michelle!
Oh, I’m so sorry! I’m praying for your dad. And I feel the same way about not being prepared for my parents’ death at all, but mine doesn’t scare me as much!
Prayers for them AND for you, my friend. If there’s anything else – ANYTHING – I can do (I’m not excluding coming over there and hugging you in person), let me know.I’m no more prepared for those scenarios than you are, and for me, it’s my grandma (who is a lot like a mother to me and who IS an octogenarian). Be strong, pray much, smile a little. May your Guardian Angel hug you often and may Mary comfort you.Hugs and prayers,Sarah
I worked in nursing home…I mean “rehab facilities” for five years or so and when us aides would hear “she/he broke her/his hip and is getting surgery” we would give each other knowing glances. It was just ingrained in us that the odds that that person lived more than a year after said surgery were practically nil in those places. It was usually a downward spiral. If they did heal physically, it was some sort of weird brain thing that happened from the anesthesia that would make them act very strange until they died (true, they didn’t have much good after care like your dad will). Now, on that happy note, I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised on occasion to have a person heal completely (like my 80+ grandma did recently!) after hip fracture/surgery! Also, Kat is right. There are MANY (women especially for some reason) that are way too mean to die.Sorry, went off there for a little while. I’ll pray for your daddy.