Hospital discharge doesn’t mark the beginning of “life as usual” for all patients. Many people continue to struggle with mobility issues after leaving the hospital. Life after discharge often involves learning how to navigate the world with lingering pain and loss of function.

One of the biggest challenges is that others may expect the person who has been discharged to “bounce back” quickly. The world often assumes that being sent home from the hospital means a person is ready to jump back into normal life. Here’s a look at the four big reasons why mobility challenges often last beyond hospital discharge.

1. Muscle Atrophy

Some people actually leave the hospital feeling less physically capable even if care and treatment were successful. It has to do with muscle atrophy. Long periods of bed rest deplete muscle mass and strength. Loss of appetite or low-protein diets during hospitalization can also reduce muscle mass. This often leaves people feeling weaker. Muscle atrophy often decreases stamina for things like work-related tasks or home duties.

In addition, muscle atrophy can increase a person’s risk for injury following hospitalization. Things like standing for long periods, walking for long periods, or getting up and down the stairs can become challenging. Even getting out of bed in the morning can be a challenge.

There’s actually a medical condition called intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) that’s seen in patients following hospitalization for critical injuries or illnesses. ICU-AW is characterized by systemic inflammation, metabolic changes, and nerve damage. Patients who develop ICU-AW also often experience muscle wasting.

ICU-AW is partially caused by the lack of body movement and muscle stimulation during bed rest. However, it goes deeper. The reduced blood flow during bed rest can actually damage blood vessels and local tissue in the muscles and nerves. Literature shows that recovery from ICU-AW can take months. While most patients see improvements in the first six to 12 months of being home, complete recovery can take up to two years. It’s also known that some patients never fully recover.

2. Delayed Healing or Recovery

Being discharged from the hospital doesn’t mean you’ve completed recovery. The last day in the hospital is often the first day of a long journey of healing. While discharge is a positive step, it can also signal a time of uncertainty for someone who is healing from an injury or intensive surgery.

While hospital stays may only last weeks, full recovery from major injuries can take months or years. A person who arrives home suddenly has the responsibility of properly managing their own daily care and wellness.

The pain and loss of function that still exist during extended recovery can make it difficult to follow protocols. For example, it can be difficult to go grocery shopping, prepare meals, shower, and take care of household tasks when healing is still an ongoing process.

3. Home Layout

Not every home design is ideal for someone with reduced mobility or a lingering injury. It’s not really something we think about until we’re in the position of needing assistance to get around. Most homes in the United States have more than one story, require a steep climb into the house from the driveway or garage, or have other barriers. That’s not to mention all of the people who live in walk-up apartments in buildings that don’t have elevators.

For example, someone recovering from a serious back injury or broken bone will struggle to use stairs if they have a home with multiple stories. This becomes even more challenging if the home’s main level can only be reached using steps from the driveway or street. In addition, the home’s only bathroom with a shower may be located on a second floor.

4. Incomplete or Unsuccessful Treatment

Mobility issues that last after hospital discharge aren’t always just natural parts of the slow healing process. In some cases, they are caused by treatments or surgeries that didn’t fully work.

It’s possible that injuries or pain that were supposed to “fixed” during hospitalization weren’t actually fixed. As a result, the patient continues to experience pain, loss of mobility, and other debilitating symptoms. There’s also the possibility that the treatment or surgery used to treat an injury actually caused mobility issues.

Even a successful treatment may not restore full mobility. Limitations exist in the medical world today. While a treatment may save a patient’s life or restore partial mobility, some patients are simply forced to accept that they will never again enjoy the full functionality and comfort they lived with before an accident or illness. As a result, they must adjust their lives to accommodate their permanent mobility limitations. This can mean moving homes, changing careers, or making other major life adjustments.

The Return Home Doesn’t Always Mean a Return to Normal Life

Discharge day can feel like you’ve reached the light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel. However, it’s important to realize that mobility challenges can make life at home more challenging. This applies both in a person’s home life and work life. It’s why many people begin documenting their experiences with an experienced personal injury lawyer like those at Barrera Law Group LLC prior to hospital discharge after they’ve been hurt. While optimism for recovery is always a positive thing, planning for mobility struggles for the foreseeable future can make the healing time you need much more accessible.