Broken Hip Injury Can Be Bigger Curse Than You Think
 
By Eilish O'Regan, Irish Independent 

November 8, 2010

Ireland

Outcome of falls: Cuts, Bruising, Broken bones, Loss of consciousness, Worsening illness

Less than a third of elderly people who break a hip return home directly from hospital afterwards, according to new statistics.

Breaking a hip is one of the great fears of older people, knowing the consequences may mean the end of their independence, admission to a nursing home or even death.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has revealed that 80pc of those admitted to hospital with a broken hip are over 75 years of age. Their average length of stay is 18 days but the majority end up in a nursing home after discharge, either for temporary recuperation or permanently.

Broken hips account for around 2,800 admissions to hospital every year.

The numbers breaking hips who will have to be treated in hospital is set to increase as the population ages. The risk of falling increases with age and one in three older people fall every year.

The cost of treating a patient with a hip injury is €12,600, according to Noel Mulvihill, Assistant National Director of Services for Older People in the HSE .

Overall, around 7,000 older people need to be hospitalised every year as a result of injury, the majority of which are caused by falls, he said in a parliamentary reply to Fine Gael TD Dr James Reilly.

The tragic toll comes as a separate study shows that 84,144 reported slips, trips and falls by older people, who were in hospitals or other health facilities, were logged between 2004 and September 2008.

Most falls happened in hospital and older men were found to be more likely to fall than women of the same age.

Cuts, bruising and broken bones were the main consequences although the majority resulted in no apparent injury or reaction, the report from the State Claims Agency said.

Most falls happened when the older person was moving without supervision and 95 resulted in a compensation claim being lodged. Women were also more likely to sue than men.

It is known that making small changes in and around an older person's home can make a big difference in reducing accidents.

A home hazard assessment could involve asking a public health nurse to visit a person's home in order to identify potential hazards, and provide advice about how to deal with them.

For example, as the bathroom is a common place where falls can occur, many older people would benefit by having bars placed inside their bath to make it easier to get in and out.

General advice for preventing falls includes:

• Mop up spills straight away.

• Remove clutter, trailing wires, and frayed carpet.

• Use non-slip mats and rugs.

• Use high-wattage bulbs in lights and torches so that you can see clearly.

• Organize your home so that climbing, stretching and bending are kept to a minimum, and so that you do not bump into things.

• Do not walk on slippery floors in socks or tights.

• Avoid wearing loose-fitting, trailing clothes that might trip you up.

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