A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that half of nursing home residents who suffer a hip fracture either die or lose the ability to walk on their own within six months of receiving the injury. Within this number, researchers found that those who were 90 years or older were at the greatest risk.
Study Focuses on Nursing Home Patients as At-Risk Group
Dr. Mark Neuman of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia led the study which used the data collected from 60,000 nursing home residents who had suffered a hip injury between 2005 and 2009. This data was collected through the use of nursing homes and Medicare claims. Dr. Neuman concluded that “we observed that nursing home residents had very bad outcomes in survival and functional status.”
The study also found that before the hip fracture, most of the residents in the study were able to get around on their own with minimal help. However, after the fracture, one in three patients were dead within six months. Men topped this list, with half of them dying within the six-month time frame. Of those who survived past the six-month mark, 28 percent were dependent on help to get around, including maintaining personal hygiene and using the bathroom.Sadly, within a year of tracking the patients suffering from a hip fracture, nearly half of them were dead.
Lauren Beaupre of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, concluded that “when nursing home residents can no longer ambulate, this restricts their ability to participate in activities at the nursing home…They will likely spend much more time in bed, which can only increase their frailty.”
Nursing Home Residents Compared to At-Home Residents
Hip fractures are a concern for the elderly, both in and out of nursing homes. However, those who do not live in nursing homes seem to have a better chance of surviving longer post-fall. The study revealed that about 20 percent of those who suffer a hip fracture and live outside of a nursing home will die within a year. This is a much lower number compared to the half that will die in nursing homes.
Seeking Help for Suspected Nursing Home Abuse
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