Hip Pads
Hip Pads
Friends-- in yesterday's paper there is a report of some research in
Finland that "offers proof that
wearing external hip protectors can prevent as many as 80% of hip
fractures suffered by the elderly."
The New England Journal of Medicine published the study 11/23/00, and
called it a breakthrough in fracture prevention, and notes how serious
these can be. The protectors tested in Finland "resembled frisbee-like
discs, that were inserted into the hip pockets of a pair of stretchy
bicycle shorts,were anatomically designed, with hard but lightweight
surface with padding on the inside where it touches the body".
In view of the many falls PWPs can have, I wondered if any had tried these,
or if we have a member of PIEN in Finland who knows about them? (No Finns
on CARE, as yet.)
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I've been meaning to post this information to the lists also --
I'm glad you reminded me. I had read about the hip protectors on another
ListServ, and located a web site that offers them. I phoned the company,
and explained that it might be useful for people with PD who experience
falls. However, I also mentioned that it can be very difficult for
someone with PD to dress, and wondered if such a garment might be
problematic to put on and remove. They very kindly sent me a sample of
the fabric, and it is stretchy but not tight. I think it might be very
beneficial for many people who fall, in terms of helping to prevent
fractures.
For more information, you might try the web site:
http://www.hipsavers.com/
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Hip protection is important because accidental falls are a leading cause of hospitalization, injury deaths, and disabilities for seniors. Among women aged 65-74, hip fractures are the largest single kind of injury resulting from these falls, representing 35% of related hospitalizations. For women aged 85 and older, the hospitalization rate increases to 58%.
Another site that has hip pads for sale can be found at the following URL:
http://www.morningstarlight.com/hip_protection.html
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