Hip fractures are one of the most serious consequences from falling.  More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by a fall.

Cause of Hip Fracture

• Most hip fractures are due to ground-level falls while the patient/resident is standing or walking; up to 75% of hip fractures occur under these circumstances.
• In most cases, the immediate cause of hip fracture is a sideways fall with direct impact on the hip (i.e., the greater trochanter of the proximal femur). Falls to the side, in contrast to falls forward or onto the buttocks, increase the risk of hip fracture.

Factors Associated with Hip Fracture

Several factors are linked with the risk of hip fracture following a fall:

• Loss of bone strength (i.e., osteoporosis)
• Reduction of soft tissue or fat covering the hip area.

As a result, the hip's ability to withstand an impact with a hard floor surface and protect against a hip fracture is diminished.

What is a Hip Protector? 

• Hip protectors are a device 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.
• The current design of hip protectors consists of high impact absorbing foam pads that are held in place at the hips with specially designed removable briefs or underwear (i.e., the pads are either sewn into or inserted inside pockets located over each hip). Some models include a removable tailbone pad to protect against injury. These light weight, stretchy garments come in a range of sizes to ensure proper fit.

* See http://www.padalarm.com/images/FactSheets/hip_pad_report2.pdf for test results

How To Use a Hip Protector:

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).

PSC’s Hip Protector is 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, the hip protectors acts as shock absorbers around the hip providing a cushion between the hip bone and impact surface.

Testimonial from a DON who has experienced the PSC difference... Quality, Service & Savings:

At John Knox Manor we use hip protectors from Personal Safety Corporation. I recommend that any fall risk person wear them daily. Our facility has used PSC hip protectors for quite some time now & the product is working extremely well.

Janice Wright
John Knox Manor