Broken Hip in Elderly

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, broken hips and hip fractures in the elderly population is a serious concern in the United States. People over 60 years of age account for the most broken hip accidents in the nation. However, while broken hips occur because of weakened bones as people age, many of these accidents in nursing homes can be prevented. Unfortunately, thousands of nursing home residents suffer from broken hips on an annual basis because of the neglect of nursing home staff and caregivers.

Reasons for Broken Hips in Nursing Homes

As previously mentioned, broken hips can happen to anyone, especially the elderly, but in nursing homes it can happen because the residents weren’t being properly looked after. Common reasons for broken hips caused by the negligence of nursing home staff members include:

• Malnutrition: If a resident isn’t getting the required nutrition, they are more prone to broken bones when falling.
• Wandering and Elopement: Residents need to be closely monitored. If staff members are negligent, they can wander off and fall, resulting in broken bones.
• Physical Abuse: Unfortunately, physical abuse is still a large problem in nursing homes. Pushing, slapping, and/or threatening a resident could cause a nasty fall.
• Mishandling residents: Sometimes staff members may roughly handle residents without the intention of harm, yet accidents occur, resulting in injuries.

Broken and fractured hip accidents increase with age. People 85 and older have the highest incidents of broken and/or fractured hips.

Consequences of a Broken Hip

A broken hip is a serious medical issue for anyone at any age. Yet, for the elderly, it’s extremely dire and almost always requires surgery. In some instances, victims may need an entire hip replacement. In addition, elderly citizens are at risk of developing blood clots or bedsores after a broken hip, which could possibly lead to death.

It is imperative for victims to seek treatment as soon as possible after a fall. If a broken hip goes diagnosed, problems become more complicated the longer you wait to treat, requiring more extensive medical treatments.

The incidence of broken and fractured hips is predicted to increase if the current trends in nursing homes continue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

– Annually, there are approximately 285,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures in individuals age 65+.
– More than 95% of hip fractures are caused from falling.
– By 2030, the projected number of hospitalizations due to hip fractures is 289,000 per year.

People who fracture their hips in nursing homes usually remain in nursing homes indefinitely. Women are much more likely to have a broken hip or a hip fracture.

Getting Help for a Nursing Home or Hospital Broken Hip Malpractice Case

If you or a loved one has been victim of medical malpractice or nursing home abuse and have been injured after a fall which caused a broken hip, an experienced nursing home abuse attorney may be able to assist you. At MedMalFirm.com, our medical malpractice and nursing home neglect lawyers have assisted many individuals seek justice after a hip fracture following a fall. Give us a call today for a free consultation. You can reach us at 877-887-4850 or you may fill out our online submission form.