Is this the norm for a 79 yr old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And what difference does it make what you think your mom should walk like?

The OP might know that life in a wheelchair comes with a host of medical issues and further decline. "I just see such a rapid decrease in her mobility I can see her in a wheelchair very soon."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom was shuffling and barely able to get up out of a chair in her mid-70s. It turned out she had serious knee and hip arthritis and at 82, after joint replacements, she is now mobile, walks the dog, climbs stairs, sits and stands pretty easily, and is clearly in much less danger of falling because her gait is more normal and she can handle lateral shifts without pain. Her overall demeanor is also much improved, between lack of pain and more moving around. (She's not *exercising,* per se, never has, but just ordinary daily mobility has made things so much better. This is really hard during covid, but when it's safe to do so I would recommend an ortho consult. Surgery may not be indicated, but it really is worth seeing if there's an underlying musculoskeletal condition and if she's become accustomed to a chronic level of pain that she should not have to live with.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom was shuffling and barely able to get up out of a chair in her mid-70s. It turned out she had serious knee and hip arthritis and at 82, after joint replacements, she is now mobile, walks the dog, climbs stairs, sits and stands pretty easily, and is clearly in much less danger of falling because her gait is more normal and she can handle lateral shifts without pain. Her overall demeanor is also much improved, between lack of pain and more moving around. (She's not *exercising,* per se, never has, but just ordinary daily mobility has made things so much better. This is really hard during covid, but when it's safe to do so I would recommend an ortho consult. Surgery may not be indicated, but it really is worth seeing if there's an underlying musculoskeletal condition and if she's become accustomed to a chronic level of pain that she should not have to live with.

Oh my goodness this is so enlightening. My mom is soooooo hardheaded though and hates doctors! I will have to drag her kicking and screaming. She tells me it’s just arthritis but it seems she’s in a lot of pain. I will make the appointment and tell her we’re going to Bob Evans!

[Anonymous]

My mom is 79 and also has been very sedentary throughout her life. She uses a walker and has a cane, and spends most of her day sitting in her recliner at the retirement apartment she lives in.

I'm 47, overweight, but workout regularly--lift weights, yoga, walk, kettlebell swings, bike etc. I'm hoping to have a different old age than my mom.

[Anonymous]

My 89 year old grandmother is more active than me and spent the day before thanksgiving collecting rocks in a bucket in her yard and moving them across her large yard because of some landscaping she wants done. I was horrified and had my kids finish for her when we visited her yard to say a masked and distanced hello, but she was plenty capable. This is very person dependent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom was shuffling and barely able to get up out of a chair in her mid-70s. It turned out she had serious knee and hip arthritis and at 82, after joint replacements, she is now mobile, walks the dog, climbs stairs, sits and stands pretty easily...

Oh my goodness this is so enlightening. My mom is soooooo hardheaded though and hates doctors! I will have to drag her kicking and screaming. She tells me it’s just arthritis but it seems she’s in a lot of pain. I will make the appointment and tell her we’re going to Bob Evans!

I'm the PP with the enlightening 82yo. She was incredibly doctor-avoidant, too, until one day she just woke up and said, "I have to do this." The ortho was astonished she'd waited so long when he saw her x-rays. Techniques have improved so much just over the last ~7 years that her hip surgeries were done with just an epidural, not even general anesthesia, and she was home and walking the next day. The cognitive changes have been so heartening, too. A fog seemed to lift once the pain was gone. Turns out "just arthritis" is something that can really be addressed by modern medicine. (I'm keeping an eye on my own aches and creaks.) I recommend Dr. Philip Bobrow as an ortho—an incredibly kind man as well as a great surgeon, not a combination you find that often.

[Anonymous]

In my family I’ve seen age 80 be a turning point. My dad was very active at 75. By 80 he was in decline, and he passed away suddenly right before turning 81.

There’s a huge range of normal at that age. It is not unexpected that a 79 year old would develop mobility issues. I’m almost not sure what you’re getting at with this question. Do you want your mom to start exercising now?

[Anonymous]

My mom is 82, and has had a harder time walking the past year or so. She sees a physical therapist who specializes in mobility for seniors. It's helped a ton. My mom likes to be fairly active though. Sorry your mom won't see a doctor. Have you suggested it to her? She probably assumes there's nothing she can do about it.

[Anonymous]

My 77-year old mother mows her own lawn, painted her garage floor and the foundation of the house. She walks constantly. She can't sit still. She has incredible mobility. She was a nurse so was used to being on her feet. My dad also ran around like a 50-year old at 76, even after cancer treatment.

If you don't use it, you lose it.

My MIL is the same age (79) and it is painful walking anywhere with her. She has such poor mobility. She never exercised.