For one Palm Coast resident, a hard year of injuries mirrors a community trend

When 75-year-old Grand Haven resident Jan Weida looks back on the past year, she describes it as a time marked by unexpected setbacks and the steady support she relied on to keep moving forward.

Weida underwent two knee replacements in 2024 at AdventHealth Palm Coast after worsening osteoarthritis made walking painful. Months later, she fractured her femur in a fall at home.

For many older adults in Palm Coast, injuries tied to aging bones and mobility challenges like Weida’s are becoming increasingly common, according to regional health assessments.

For Weida, having local orthopedic care throughout each stage made a difference.

A retired registered nurse, she said she knew she was in good hands the moment she met Dr. Michael Campbell, an orthopedic surgeon with AdventHealth.

“He looks right at you and listens,” she said. “You feel like he has all the time in the world.”

Campbell replaced both knees and later repaired her fractured femur. He said experiencing all three conditions in a single year isn’t typical, but it illustrates how quickly health needs can shift for older adults.

“Knee arthritis usually builds slowly, but a femur fracture is sudden,” he said. “It’s the kind of injury pattern we often see after a fall, especially when bone strength has changed with age.”

In Flagler County, nearly one-third of residents are 65 or older. According to SG2, the community has also grown nearly 11% in the past five years, with adults 65 and older making up the fastest-growing segment.

With those shifts, support for age-friendly and orthopedic care has become increasingly important.

AdventHealth Palm Coast earned Joint Commission certification in knee, hip and shoulder replacement and is a Level 2 Age-Friendly Health System — designations that reflect efforts to better support older adults in a community where injuries from falls are common.

Campbell said he meets many patients who are active — golfing, walking or cycling — yet still vulnerable to injuries that can upend daily routines.

“Most of my patients want to stay as active as they can,” he said. “Mobility plays into everything: confidence, independence, even how people connect socially.”

After Weida fractured her femur, she remembers the hospital’s nursing staff checking on her frequently and helping her navigate the first difficult days of recovery.

“The pain was unbelievable at first,” she said. “They were kind, patient — they helped me get through it.”

Rehabilitation took time and consistency. Campbell said that’s often the hardest part.

“Surgery is one moment in a long process,” he said. “The real work is in rehab, and it only moves forward when patients stay engaged.”

Palm Coast’s rapid growth has brought more people seeking orthopedic help, from joint degeneration to fractures. That’s why AdventHealth has added new physicians, including fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons who focus on hip and knee revisions, along with new technology like TenJet, a minimally invasive treatment for tendinosis, a condition caused by degenerated tendon tissue.

“People don’t want to leave their community for care,” he said. “They want to recover close to home, with support around them.”

Today, Weida is back to golfing, taking exercise classes, walking daily and planning to try pickleball. She said mobility gave her back the routines that help her feel steady and whole.

“It feels good to be myself again,” she said.