Hip protectors are not effective in nursing home populations
Posted by Patti on July 24th, 2007 / Print This Post
I never thought hip protectors did any good. Now a study proves me right!
BOSTON, July 24 — Hip protectors designed to lessen the impact of falls among older adults do not appear to reduce the incidence of hip fractures, researchers here found.In a large clinical trial, nursing home residents actually had a higher rate of hip fracture when wearing foam-covered polyethylene pads than when unprotected (3.1% versus 2.5%, P=0.70), reported Douglas P. Kiel, M.D., M.P.H., of Harvard and Hebrew SeniorLife, and colleagues, in the July 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The results confirm “the growing body of evidence that hip protectors are not effective in nursing home populations,” they wrote.
There are some conflicting points in this article and it’s hard to follow the process used in this study. The bottom line was simple though: Hip protectors don’t protect hips.
July 27th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
I never thought those pads did any good either. I have seen resident fall over while wearing these things, and the hip breaks anyway. In theory I think the idea was good and sound, but in practice it just doesn’t work. If anything, it gives everyone a false sense of security- just like chair and bed alarms.
July 27th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I agree Kim. We use them where I work and they are just silly. You’re right too in that they do nothing more than give us that false sense of safety too. A fall is a fall. Hip protectors don’t prevent twists and turns, which happen when old people fall…they MAY soften the landing, but only if the person lands totally on their side and no where else. And how often does that happen in reality? We use them and the use is care planned. I’ll bring this article to the attention of the nurses.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
I bet whoever made these things, invented them, had never actually used one or seen them in use during a fall. Its a good idea but in practice it didn’t work. Of course nursing homes will still insist upon their use. So will families. And hips will continue to break because we’re so sure these things prevent or help prevent breaks.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:37 am
I wonder how many nurses and doctors have even seen this report. And even then I bet they would continue using the stupid things. As a precaution. After all, they don’t hurt anything right? I’ve had residents tell me how uncomfy and bulky and unnatural the pads are…but who cares what they think?