An extra pair of hands

Are you the designated gardener, cleaner, chef and all-round support for an older family member?

Sometimes supporting older relatives can prove challenging and exhausting; this is especially true when you’re also trying to look after your own family or working. It is easy to often feel guilty for being too busy or not as supportive as you would like.

The anterior approach has been rising in popularity. It’s a less invasive approach which goes between muscles rather than splitting muscles.

2. The back door (Posterior approach)

The posterior approach is the most common approach in Australia and provides good exposure to the joint. It involves splitting the gluteus maximus and detaching the small muscles at the back of the hip.

3. The side door (Lateral approach)

This is the least common approach. It involves splitting the gluteus maximus but also the abductor muscles (gluteus medius and minimus). These muscles are very important for balance and trunk stability during walking.

WHEN MIGHT YOU NEED A HIP REPLACEMENT?

No one NEEDS a hip replacement; it’s an elective procedure. When hip pain affects the quality of a person’s life, keeps them up at night or heavy-duty pain medication is being used, it’s time to consider surgery.

HOW LONG IS THE RECOVERY?

While each patient’s recovery will differ, generally you can expect the following: sportsmed is an industry leading healthcare provider with a private orthopaedic hospital and specialist clinics across a number of locations, offering patients access to modern and innovative healthcare in state-of-the-art facilities.

• You may be up and walking even as soon as the day of the procedure as this helps to improve mobility.

• Your hospital stay can last anywhere from one to five nights depending on your mobility and pain.

• You can expect to be using some sort of frame, stick or crutches for between 2-6 weeks.

If recovery goes to plan you should be back driving by approximately six weeks.

HOW LONG DOES A HIP REPLACEMENT LAST?

All joint replacements in Australia are recorded and followed on the National Joint Replacement Registry (which now follows more than 1.8 million joint replacements!), based at SAHMRI. According to the Registry, 91.6% of hip replacements in Australia have not been re-operated on after 20 years and 89% of patients are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their hip replacements.

Please keep in mind that treatment methods and outcomes vary between patients. Each individual patient has specialised requirements.

A referral from your GP is required to make an appointment with Dr Gieroba or any of sportsmed’s Orthopaedic surgeons.

Stepney Healthcare Hub Blackwood · Henley Beach Morphett Vale · Mitcham sportsmed.com.au

If this sounds familiar, you might be interested to know about private aged care services.

Private Aged Care can be a lifeline to assist older Australians to live more independently at home. It can be utilised on its own or to “top up” Home Care Packages.

For those who may not be aware, a Home Care Package (HCP) is a government-subsidised program for eligible older Australians to access in-home support and remain living at home.

Home Care Packages are a great source of support for many, however, high demand, access wait times and income-tested fees can cause additional issues for some. For those requiring immediate access to support or for those who have sufficient financial resources, private aged care may be worth considering.

As there is no Government involvement with private care, there is also no limit to the number of hours of support you can access each week, and you can quickly increase or decrease your services based on need.

Private aged care services can be delivered to provide up to 24/7 care and can include an extensive range of in-home and community supports, including:

 PERSONAL CARE

 NURSING

 ALLIED HEALTH

 MEALS & FOOD PREPARATION

 TRANSPORT

 CLEANING/LAUNDRY

 HOME & GARDEN MAINTENANCE

We all want our family to feel as supported, independent and happy as possible.

So, if you are currently evaluating the best aged care support for your parents or relatives, it might be worth investigating private care with HenderCare.

DID YOU KNOW?

 If a Home Care Package is topped up by private funding, there is no loss of funding from the package itself; the individual will have access to more services through private funding.

 There is no waitlist to start accessing private services.

 Private aged care removes the need for a government assessment to access services. Depending on your financial circumstances and current need, we may still recommend you have a Home Care Package assessment.

 Private care delivered can be as little or as much as needed –uncapped per week.

If you have questions about what type of care might be best for your loved ones, please call our experienced team on 1300 764 433 or visit hendercare.com.au.

Building strength – IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START

Fibre Is The Word

How much do you know about dietary fibre?

This key component of a healthy diet keeps our digestive system running smoothly and yet most Australian’s aren’t consuming enough. In fact, on average, we’re only at 50% of the recommended daily intake. Dr Will Bulsiewicz, author of The Fibre Fuelled Cookbook, is on a mission to change this, and improve how much we all know about this gut-health game changer.

We asked author Dr Bulsiewicz to share some tips on getting regular fibre and the foods to choose for fuelling digestion.

By Trent Larwood, sportsmed Exercise Physiologist

You might not be able to change your age, but it’s never too late to start making changes to your health and fitness by incorporating strength training into your routine.

As our bodies mature, we’re faced with an increased risk of health-related concerns such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and strength), falls and fractures, reduced balance and cardiovascular disease. When it comes to muscle mass, the decline starts as early as our 30s, but this significantly increases the other side of 50. However, it’s possible to slow this process and help prevent other health issues arising by adding muscle-strengthening exercises into your fitness program.