Hip protectors can be very useful with patients / residents who are prone to falls and fall injuries.
Purpose of a hip protector:
- Designed to absorb and disperse the impact of a fall on the hip bone, which helps to reduce the risk of hip fracture. In essence, hip protectors act as shock absorbers around the hip providing a cushion between the hip bone and impact surface.
How to use a hip protector:
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The best use of a hip protector is in those patients/residents who are at the greatest risk of hip fracture. These include patients/ residents with:
- History of injury following a fall
- History of osteoporosis and multiple falls
- Balance impairment
- Diseases (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease,
etc.) associated with balance loss and hip fracture risk
- Medications associated with balance loss and falls (e.g., narcotics, sedatives
or antidepressants, etc.).
- Seizure disorder
- Frequent nocturia (i.e., nighttime toileting)
- Dementia with agitated behaviors
- Fear of falling and/or injury (i.e., hip protectors offer psychological benefits; wearers feel more confident in completing tasks safely and, as a result, became more physically active, and require less assistance with activities of daily living.
Posted May 2010
SeekWellness.com offers high quality hip protectors to help prevent serious injury from falls.
