# My mother fell and broke her hip **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 22, 2020, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612 "2020-10-22T18:03:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/1 "2020-10-22T18:03:14Z")
I’ve spent most of the day in the er, keeping her company. It’s two breaks, on the same side. The bone isn’t displaced, and the trauma guy doesn’t think she needs surgery. They plan to admit her. She’s elderly and in poor health. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/2 "2020-10-22T18:05:29Z")
I am so sorry. Its good that hospitals are allowing some visiting again, that will help. Be sure to take care of yourself as well. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/3 "2020-10-22T18:13:38Z")
I’m sorry to hear this. My mother had something similar happen, and ended up in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. I would strongly urge you to convince you mother to to do whatever PT is required so that she can walk - even with a walker. Once you are in a wheelchair, it’s a downhill slide, IMHO. And, as an aside, I once was chatting with a geriatric specialist, and he said that what usually happens is the hip breaks, and then they fall. Bones become fragile in older women. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/4 "2020-10-22T19:16:59Z")
This is actually a crack in the pelvis, not the hip itself, and the bone isn’t displaced. So i think the fall hurt the bone, and not vice versa. But yes, that can happen. And I’m trying to impress on her that moving, and physical therapy, is really important. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/5 "2020-10-22T20:12:30Z")
I’m so sorry. Wishing her and you the best. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/6 "2020-10-22T23:16:33Z")
Sorry, Man! On the bright side, my mom has fallen twice, and has had both of them replaced. The second one was pretty recent, and she was on her feet within 24 hours (Well, they required her to move). These Docs these days are pretty good. Hope Mom does as well as mine did. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/7 "2020-10-23T12:32:53Z")
Sorry to hear this. My mom has broken both of hers, one had to be redone, and I have had a hip replacement from wear and tear. Unfortunately I’m a bit of an expert on this. So you say two breaks. The femur? or pelvis? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/8 "2020-10-23T12:42:19Z")
Two breaks in the pelvis. One in the back, under the big bum muscle, and one on the side. But the bone is still in the right place. I guess that means all the ligaments and stuff are intact. She was admitted to the hospital because the case manager didn’t think a rehab place could handle the pain well enough for her to do the rehab she needs to do. Apparently the treatment is to keep the patient as mobile as possible while the bone heals on its own. When she broke a bone in her spine a few years ago, it took MUCH longer to heal than they told her it should take, so this doesn’t sound like a great plan, but it’s not clear there are any good alternatives. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/9 "2020-10-23T12:44:02Z")
My mom broke each femur. That had to have surgery of course. I suspect the pelvis is a bit different treatment. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mother-fell-and-broke-her-hip/923612/10 "2020-10-23T12:51:56Z")
Someone here was just touting the excellent qualities of Gorilla Glue… PT is terrible, but oh so necessary. And it hurts! I give all my therapists villain names. It’s rough, though, when you get these young whippersnappers who don’t even know the villains you’re talking about! I had to EXPLAIN Boris and Natasha! My best wishes for a speedy recovery! ~VOW