elderadvocare

Anyone who has an elderly parent, relative or friend in a nursing home should know the truth about broken hips and the proper response from the nursing home administration. If you suspect a nursing home resident has a broken hip, or is complaining about hip pain, the staff of any nursing home in the U.S. is required by law to investigate the injury. Do not settle for the staff merely giving the resident pain medication to mask the pain. Insist that the patient be seen by a physician and given tests or an X-ray examination in order to determine if the hip is indeed broken so that the proper course of action can be determined. Many nursing home residents suffer broken hips due to nursing home neglect that results in falls or simply from pressure sores from being allowed to lay in bed all day.

Broken hips in nursing homes may require surgery by an orthopedic specialist, followed by months of rehabilitation, especially during the critical first six months. In addition to a program of physical therapy to help the patient recover, the nursing home is also required to address any emotional side effects of the broken hip such as depression. The patient’s nursing home room must be made as safe as possible, including tacked down rugs, adequate lighting and grab bars that can help prevent unnecessary falls resulting in hip fractures.