The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found in one of their studies that “by 90 years of age, one out of four women and one out of eight men will have a hip fracture.” And to make that figure even more significant, nine out of ten hip fractures occur in folks over the age of 60.
For me, those figures are scary. Maybe it’s time we reviewed this far too common medical event?
Few, if any of us, would argue with the facts of medical deterioration of the human body over time … areas such as eye sight, balance, and coordination all decline with age; and all have major impact on the increase of the risk of us falling (which is how most hip fractures happen).
Here is a brief list of other risks for suffering a broken hip:
Treatment almost always involves surgery and can be quite common. It is typically a simple procedure, yet the recovery is fraught with complications; such as “blood clots, infection, and pneumonia.” Patients experience hospital stays of approximately four or more days initially followed by a month or so of rehabilitation in a specialized center/skilled unit of a nursing home. Finally, physical therapists will follow the patient home two or three times per week for therapy (Visiting Angels is often involved at this point in time).
Prevention is difficult due to the many physical body issues that occur as we age and are simply not preventable. Yet, many other potential causes of falling (resulting in hip fractures) can be addressed, such as:
Although, as mentioned above, many deteriorating physical aspects often contribute to the increase in falling risks (decline in eye sight, coordination, etc.), that doesn’t mean that your elder should forego regular physicals and exams. And, trying to stay as healthy as possible is also important; exercise regularly by walking, stretching, and weight lifting.
These factors are all relevant in warding off falls, thus reducing hip fractures. Finally, don’t forget to eat properly. Health, in all its forms, is one of the best ways to prevent falls.
(Much of the information above was taken from A Place for Mom, Inc., the nation’s largest elder care referral network, at: http://nursing-homes.aplaceformom.com/articles/hip-fractures-in-the-elderly/)
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Visiting Angels does a good job in caring for me, and they have a good attitude. The services have made my life easier because they come over every other week and do the household duties for me. I have trouble bending, I have a walker and I have difficulty doing daily chores, so the caregivers do laundry, sweep, and shop. They are good companions for me.