I hate having to ask this here because I feel like it's probably not the place for it, but I can't think of anywhere else I can find a group of strangers who are generally knowledgeable about movement and the human body.
Over the past month my grandmother has become completely immobile. She's had issues walking for years now (she's very old), but she's had such a rapid decline over the past month that it's caught my entire family by storm. She's a big woman (was always overweight, but old age and years of a sedentary lifestyle have made her close to 275 pounds), and her issue is her lower legs, which are completely deformed. One of her lower legs is so arthritic that she literally has to walk on the side of her foot.
My family has done absolutely everything to try and help her over these past few years. A lot of us have sacrificed hours upon hours helping her get around, ensuring she's moving as much as she could, etc. My parents even had her move in with them so she could be safer, and on top of that, I moved back in with my parents to help take care of her. But things have gotten so bad over the past month that it's now requiring two of us just to help her stand up, let alone function in any normal capacity.
My question for you guys is if there's ANYTHING out there that can serve as a substitute for the lower limbs. My grandmother is too old and weak for any type of surgery, so that's not an option, but in 2015, I just can't imagine there's NOTHING that can be done for her. Is there anything? Braces that serve as leg extensions? Something of the sort?
I'm asking this more on a friend-to-friend level. Obviously we are getting professional medical advice and help every step of the way, but sometimes I get concerned that the elderly aren't a priority in our medical system.