Every year, thousands of people are admitted to hospital with a broken hip. Of that number, the vast majority are over 55 years old. A number of patients die every year from the consequences of a broken hip. The vast majority of hip operations take place after a fall. After the operation, a long period of rehabilitation follows, in which the patient’s condition and perseverance are of great importance. Exercises must be performed daily under the supervision of a physiotherapist to achieve good results.
Short bed rest
Hip surgery is generally a quick operation followed by the shortest possible bed rest to avoid the risks of thrombosis, among other things. To shorten bed rest, a physiotherapist is therefore called in as soon as possible after the operation. Depending on the situation, rehabilitation will sometimes take place in a nursing home after a short hospital stay. This will be especially the case if the patient also had other medical problems before the broken hip.
Operation within 24 hours
The fracture is often accompanied by a lot of pain and stress. This is certainly the case with older people who have broken a hip due to a fall. Partly for this reason, the first care after arrival in a hospital for a broken hip is aimed at stabilizing the fracture and relieving the pain. A second concern is preparation for surgery. Although it is not a life-threatening situation, hip surgery is still considered an emergency operation and the practical possibilities must be taken into account. As a rule, the operation will take place within 24 hours.
Therapy from second day
After hip surgery, the patient usually stays in the hospital for 3 to 7 days. During that period, medications are administered at fixed times. In case of additional pain, the doctor will assess whether more medication is appropriate. Furthermore, some control examinations will be carried out in the first few days. Rehabilitation also starts in the hospital and a physiotherapist will visit every day from the second day onwards to have the patient do exercises. If the patient is in good condition, the exercises are increased each day. The effect of the exercises is very dependent on the efforts of the patient.
Exercises and points of interest
The exercises are aimed at:
- The improvement of blood circulation.
- The mobility of the hip joint.
- Improving the muscle function of the leg.
- The coordination of the body.
- Walking with an appropriate aid.
- Daily activities such as climbing stairs.
In addition to rehabilitation by performing exercises, a number of points of attention must be taken into account during the first six weeks, such as:
- Don’t cycle.
- Don’t drive.
- Don’t bend over.
- Avoidance of risk moves.
- Preferably sleep lying on your back.
- If sleeping on your back is not possible, an alternative is to lie on your side with a pillow between your legs.
- Bend the hip a maximum of 90 degrees, which amounts to a sitting position.
- Do not turn both the knee and the foot inwards.
- Do not cross your legs.
to the long term, such as:
- Do not sit in a chair that is too low (at least 45 centimeters from the ground).
- Do not bend over, for example, on the chair or on the toilet.
- Place the leg of the operated side forward when standing and sitting down.
- Support standing and sitting with your hands on the back of the chair or the edge of the bed.
High priority for prevention
Preventing falls by the elderly deserves a high priority. Prevention measures include steps and thresholds, sliding rugs, slippery bathroom floors, obstacles and cables on the ground, sufficient support through sturdy stair railings, good lighting and extra attention to possible obstacles outside the home.