My elderly mother had a hip replacement several months ago. She still isn’t getting around very well. She was given some exercises to do but she can’t seem to remember what they were. What can I do to help her?

It’s likely that your mother was given a printed copy of her exercises. Look around for some handouts with pictures and descriptions of the exercises. If you can’t find it, contact the physical therapist who gave her the exercises. Some of these programs are standard and you can get another copy. They may have a copy of her program in her file.

Studies show that walking every day helps patients with a total hip replacement (THR) to
do other things like going up and down stairs or getting in and out of a chair. If you can, set up a time to walk together at least three times each week. Walking can improve her muscle strength. It also improves posture and overall health, which can help prevent
other problems.

Keep a record of some sort, either a calendar or journal where you write down what she did each day. This can help older folks remember if they did the exercises and what they did. It can also be motivational as the person sees what he or she has accomplished.