Foam Hip Protectors – What’s New

People who are prone to hipbone fractures, like the elderly or those with brittle bones, require fall protection pads to prevent such incidents. With the passage of time, bones become weak and require extra support to avoid harm in case of a fall. Elderly people may require  extra support for their hip protection in order to be safe and avoid a hipbone fracture if they fall.

Hip protectors  provide the required support needed for weak bones.  These hip protectors for the elderly are very effective,  inexpensive medical tools. Hip protectors are able to protect the hipbones during a fall because they are designed in such a manner which enables them to perform the function which is required of them.

Most forms of hip protectors are worn under regular clothing as you would with underwear. It is often that a fall occurs sideways, thus the reason being incorporation of foam pads at the sides of the underwear. These foam pads are held in place through special design. These pads absorb most of the force of a fall and divert it away from the hipbone, thus reducing the risk of a hip fracture to occur.

There are several brands in the market which provide different types of hip protectors. Posey is no small name when it comes to hip protection.  They manufacture many types of hip protectors, designed for both, men and women.

You can also find Posey hip protectors for people having incontinence problems. You can see the image of Posey Hipsters Incontinent Brief at the right hand side. They include hip protection pads, which are designed to handle and tolerate more number of washes. You can also find products that have protection pads, which can be replaced.

Resources

Click to access Article0786.pdf

Protection From Falling

It’s very seldom that we think about placing fall protection devices at home especially when there are no elders around. However, in a home where your parents or grandparents live, it is especially important that they are protected in case they stumble or fall.

It is common for elderly people have weak and brittle bones, which sometimes make it hard for them to walk from one place to another. Most of the time they rely on canes and other walking supports, but most of the time even with these devices we cannot avoid sudden falls.

Here are some of the devices and tools you can use to assure that your home is equipped with elderly protection:

Active Safe Hip by Tytex

Hip protection. Hip protectors come in the form of underwear with sewn in plastic hip guards. Hip guards protect against unprotected fall and prevent hip fractures. Hip fractures happen due to sideway falls, which is why hip guards are sewn on the sides.

Floor guards. You can start placing floor cushions on places, which are likely to be accident prone areas in the house. This could be the kitchen or the bathroom. Aside from placing a floor cushion you can also place anti slip mats to avoid the elders or anyone from any unwanted accidents.

Posey Floor Cushion

Most of the time, we oversee these things and forget that a small slip can lead to a bruise or even a hip fracture. Hip protections devices and floor guards are usually the first things that come to mind when we think of preventing these accidents. But these are only initial measures to be taken.

For elderly protection around the house it is also ideal that bed rails, hand rails, and different types of grab bars are installed all around the house so that our elders will never run out of things to cling on to while walking around.

External Hip Protectors Help Prevent Hip Fractures

Fall protection is a significant worry for many who are concerned for their aging parents. As people age, their gait becomes a little more unsteady and more susceptible to falling and harm. Falls are very common with the elderly and often result in devastating and debilitating injuries such as hip fractures. Compounding the problem with falls is osteoporosis, a common disease in older women that makes the bones weak and fragile. Hip fractures are particularly troublesome and can be prevented. There are three major steps you should take to assist your parents in reducing their risks to fractures, particularly hip fractures.

The first step is removing obstacles in the hallways and other areas of the home. Obstacles can trip your parent or cause them to loose their balance. This step is the most inexpensive preventative measure.

Installing fall protection systems throughout the home is the second preventive step. Fall protection safety devices like handrails, grab bars, shower chairs, toilet safety frames, floor cushions, cushioned bath mats, bedrails, EZ Assist Poles, and even walkers and rollators can prevent falls and are important preventive measures. Soft Sole Footwear or Soft Sole Socks can reduce slipping falls. Each of these fall protection devices are inexpensive and can reduce the risk of fall injuries to your parents and reduce your exposure to large hospital bills.

Personal fall protection systems or personal protective equipment is the third preventive step. There are a number of personal fall protection devices to choose from. Protective pads or hip pads provide good fall protection. Pads protection is very inexpensive and effective for most situations. Most hip fractures are caused by sideways falls, with the impact directly on the side of the hip. External hip protectors or cushioned pads made of special protective and shock-absorbing material rest directly on the hips over the most common impact points. Hip padding has been shown in many scientific studies to be very effective in the prevention of hip fractures in the event of a fall1.

Foam hip pads come in different styles that can be worn just like regular underwear, or with a crotch-less design that can be worn over regular underwear. The hip protection briefs come in standard and community styles and are available for women or with fly for men. There are also special designs available to care for people with incontinence issues which have protective pads in them that can tolerate higher washing temperatures than the regular pads, while featuring the same impact protection. This style also has a snap front to make it easy to put them on over adult diapers. The protective hip padding in all styles is low profile, so that it can be discreetly worn under the clothing. All of these styles are available from Posey at Vitality Medical. The hip protector briefs are made from Lycra®/Cotton to make them comfortable to wear. The Posey Hipsters brand are one of the best sellers for this category. The pads in these hip protectors are sown into the garment. These hip protection pads are easily washable in a household laundry washer. Hip pads are also replaceable.

These hip protector pads are a suitable, comfortable and economical way to save pain and suffering that can be caused by hip fractures and are conveniently available on the Vitality Medical website. Vitality Medical provides medical supplies and equipment you can order online at discount prices from the leading medical supply companies.

Resources

Oxford Journals, Age & Ageing – Bed falls and bedrails—what should we do?

Oxford Journals, Age & Ageing – Falls, Fractures and Trauma

Oxford Journals, Age & Ageing – Prevention of hip fracture with hip protectors
Oxford Journals, Age & Ageing – Diabetes, falls and fractures