A broken hip is one of the most common injuries among elderly people all over the world, and its recovery process is long and delicate one which requires special attention from both the injured person as well as any caregivers who may be providing assistance.
According to medical studies, individuals suffering from a fractured hip are at a high risk for re-injury during the first two years. Here are some other alarming statistical facts:
- About one third of the elder population over the age of 65 falls each year, and the risk of falls increases proportionately with age. At 80 years, over half of seniors fall annually.
- Falls are the leading cause of death among the elderly since 87% of all fractures in the elderly are due to falls.
- Falls account for 25% of all hospital admissions, and 40% of all nursing home admissions 40% of those admitted do not return to independent living; 25% die within a year.
- Up to 40% of people who have a stroke have a serious fall within the next year.
And, it is also possible to give some cost related facts for hip fractures in the elderly. For example, in the UK it is stated that hip fractures take up 20 per cent of orthopedic hospital beds and cost the NHS (National Health System) about £1.73bn a year. Probably driven by this very fact, the “smart clothing” has been developed at Imperial College London, which uses an energy-absorbing material known as Armourgel that hardens on impact in a similar way to protective motorcycle gear, but which is thin and flexible enough to be incorporated into everyday garments. Thus, clothes having this material protect elderly people from breaking their hips when they fall.The reward given by the Royal Academy of Engineering to Dr. Daniel Plant, who is developing the material, is as fascinating as the development itself. Dr. Plant is one of eight researchers to be awarded up to £85,000 by the Royal Academy of Engineering to help start businesses based on technological innovations. It is also stated that The Enterprise Fellowship Scheme will also provide such researchers with one-to-one mentoring from business entrepreneurs to help them commercialize their ideas.
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