DaveO48

Hi,
I'm 64, I have had rotator cuff repairs to both shoulders, one recently. I have had excellent results from both surgeries. The most important points to me are, a skilled surgeon, an obsession with cleanliness, and physical therapy.
I used a "shoulder CPM" device. The way it works is, you sit in the chair, your arm is held in place on a rotatable framework, and the machine moves your arm thru a specific range of motion. The one I used was manufactured by Kinex, Model #KS2 Shoulder CPM. I used it as much as I could. I was instructed on how to increase the settings as the movement became "too easy". I found out that using it to start my day helped reduce the pain from the normal movements one has while in the shoulder sling.
My sling had a very large foam pad under it so my upper arm was nearly horizontal. The repair for the right shoulder was called "massive", and it took 6 hours in surgery to repair.
I went to physical therapy 3 times each week. I was helped immensely by the combination of the Kinex "chair" and the therapist.
Getting the surgery done will stop any further tearing as it keeps getting worse with continued use.
If you aren't sure, get a second opinion. From my experience age isn't the major factor, health is. If she can get a clearance from her doctors surgery would be the best option.